My Little Drug
by Dark Midnight
Summary: Tormented by her memories of the labyrinth, Sarah turns to Drugs for comfort. One drunk, high night, she wishes herself away to the Underground where she must battle her dependence, feelings for Jareth, and the new danger sweeping the Underground.
1. A Wish

**AN:** Currently working on updating this. I do not own Labyrinth. Prepare for updates soon - 4/25/12

**My Little Drug**

Sarah smiled to herself. She felt the reefer kick-in to her bloodstream joining the alcohol already deeply burrowed within her cells. The gravity of the was beginning to slip away. It was a lovely feeling. The ground opened slightly and she nestled into her favorite position and listened to her friend, Laura, play the same string on her acoustic. The cord plucked out strange rhythms as Sarah's eyes pulsed with the melody. Yes, lovely, that was the word. The night air was cool, but the campfire emitted enough warmth for Sarah.

She felt an arm bring her closer to the heat. _Hmm, yes._ It was him, that boy that had been attracted to her. His name. . . ? Must have been something like. . . She couldn't remember. She thought about resisting the arm on her waist, but decided against doing so. It was quite chilled out here under the stars. Perhaps she would even kiss him later. That was, if she was high or drunk enough. Or Both. She could pretend he was someone else. Some much more preferable.

Someone much more powerful.

She sighed. This was doing it for her. _It. _Sustaining the small loom of sanity she thought was ripped away long go. She took another huff of the joint-pineapple-flavored rolls. She blew smoke rings toward the sky, this was her practiced art. _Let it come_, she chanted inwardly.

She pulled away from Daniel, she decided that was his name, and slipped her hand in his. Gently, with a hazy smile, Sarah stood and waved at Laura and the others before her and the man departed each with their own bottle of beer. They walked deeper into the woods; the sound of the guitar was fading. Maybe she would let him have a bit more than a kiss. She hadn't decided yet.

After stumbling and making small talk Sarah decided they were far enough away from the others.

"Do you know," she said leaning against a tree. She took another quick huff, "I have been to another world?"

He sized her up in his mind debating whether or not to take advantage of her. He took a huff of his plain cigarette followed by a swig of his beer. He cursed when he realized it was empty and dropped the bottle on the ground. "Can't say I'm surprised." He murmured as he neared her. He ran a hand through his brown hair as if to brush off his impending guilt. "How drunk are you?"

She seemed to consider for a moment. "Drunk enough," she slurred. "But back to my story." Daniel rolled his eyes. "I had to save my brother from this evil monster." She snorted a half laugh. "A cruel monster. . .And then I had to go through this maze."

He leaned forward placing his forehead on hers. "Sounds like a good high." His hand slipped inside the back of her pants.

"No, I wasn't high." Sarah whispered angling toward him. She could feel the situation inclining in the direction she'd intended, only, she hadn't thought it would go so fast. She took another drag of her joint. She tilted her head back seeing the moon in a most bright fashion. A quick shadow darted in front of it.

"So. . ." Daniel trailed off as he nibbled Sarah's ear. She gasped at the sensation. It felt absolutely intoxicating. "How old are you?"

She thought carefully about the question before answering. Might as well tell the truth. She was legal, just young. "Nineteen." She dropped her source of highness to the ground and stamped it out with her foot. She held up her beer, there was plenty left which pleased her. She took a swig.

"Let's go deeper into the woods." He pulled her against him and took a drink of her beer.

They walked using the trees to balance with the path slightly moonlit. A few birds chirped high above them and then scattered. Sarah watched as the sky danced with shadows. The darkness was swaying around her. She stumbled down to the ground, but Daniel caught her, the moon giving him a menacing look. He pulled her up as she stared at him for a moment.

She thought fondly of someone else looking at her that way, eyes full of desire. If only he could possess her the way that someone else did, always had, it would be easier. But even this drunken, high state, she only ever wanted one person. She only ever wanted to be in one place. She wanted it more than anything in that one moment as she looked at the man before her. He wouldn't do _it _she decided. He was worthless, just like the others.

The world flashed around her. Suddenly, it was bright. The sky had turned a slight orange and the trees were gone. Bricks surrounded her and pixies danced in her hair. She could feel an assortment of unknown creatures scurry across her feet. The heat of the day kissed her skin making her hot.

Daniel was before her again his eyes wide holding her arms painfully tight. Something wasn't right. She screamed as loud as she could out of fright and joy at the same time before taking off into the woods. Her breath was heavy in her ears. Why was she running? She had it. She had touched that scared place. She had to find it again. Her name was called, from somewhere. Was it behind her? She kept running. The dark began to become lighter. The trees flashed before her quickly in the disappearing darkness. She saw the bricks now, they were endless. Her breath came in loud gasps. She stumbled again, except this time there was no one to catch her. She fell to the ground hard rolling down a hill. She felt her body fly high into the air. She landed and kept rolling painfully across many jagged edges until she stopped. Her head knocked against a rock or a root, something hard. The sound of rushing water was loud in her ears.

The vision before her jumped then. It faded like a television between two channels. She saw the darkness with blue trees one moment and then the next she saw bricks on either side of her alit by the orange sky. Her head pounded with every changing channel. In either vision, however, she could see a figure approaching her. Only his boots, clouded as they were, could she see of him or her.

She reached her hand to the back of her head feeling quite wet liquid lace itself between her fingers. Her head stung, her eyes hurt. Sleep, suddenly that was a nice idea. She felt the weed in her pocket, making sure it would be there when she was done with her nap. Morning highs were the great. With satisfaction she let her body fall into the water and she felt her self slip away.

"Sarah?"

She rolled over onto her back and smiled at the shadow before her feeling the water kiss her lips. "Not right now. I'm going to sleep here." Her head began to sting as the water lapped up the blood hungrily. There was a dull ache all throughout her body, and Sarah was sure if she was not high or completely wasted, she would be in a lot of pain. Just looking at her arm made her want to throw up.

"No, Sarah, I don't think that would be the best idea." The figure bent down next to her blocking out the moon.

"But, I'm tired, and my head hurts." She was thoughtful for a moment. "You know, I like it here. I want a water bed. Remind me to discuss it." The last of her words were slightly were more slurred than before.

"Interesting" The figure pulled her up against him carefully looking in her eyes. He noticed a slight change in her pupil sizes before she let her eyes close. "Sarah." He said through gritted, annoyed teeth. "Tell me more about the water."

"I like it." She sighed also annoyed. Why was this person keeping her from sleeping. She tried to push herself away from him; her strength was too weak. "Just let me go to sleep. Don't tell Karen-" She sneered at the name. "you found me out here. I don't want her I told yous so's to my dad." She tried once again to pull herself away from the man she decided was not Daniel. He wouldn't release her, but he did turn her around and pulled her against him as they stood up.

She suddenly felt sick and braced herself against the stranger. "Let me go." She walked away from the stranger, but couldn't walk a straight and began to stumble in the water. Her knees left her legs and flew up with the birds in the trees as the stranger caught her against his arm.

"I can't." His voice was harsh and angry. "I'm only trying to keep you from going to sleep." On that note, he picked her up as if to carry her over the thresh hold.

Reluctantly, her tired body leaned against him. "It it all right if I sleep." She cajoled him. Then a thought struck her. "Can you throw me into the sky?"

"Why?" He asked letting his amusement lace his tone.

"I want to be a star." She explained closing her eyes. Something began nagging at her. She was missing something, something she would want to remember later.

"A star?" He began walking.

She wasn't sure of his destination. "Yes, I've always wanted to be an actress, you know? Go ahead though, throw me up there." She tried to re-position herself, but the figure would not allow it.

"I think you should stay here, at least for now." He let out a breath and seemed to consider something.

"I'm tired of here. That is why I want to sleep. My head hurts." Her eyes grew quite heavy as well as her body. Her head ached. She groaned at the pounding. "Daniel, where are we going? I don't want to go back to camp right now." Her voice was fading.

"Daniel is already back at camp, Sarah." The voice was suddenly controlled.

"Oh?" She gave a lite laugh. "Were you spying on us then?"

"I suppose that is a word for it." He sat Sarah against a tree. She molded perfectly against the roots in the ground; however, she could not keep her upper body supported for her head was too heavy.

"Sarah, I need you to something very important for me." He held her shoulders against the tree.

"Oh?" She tried to think clearly, but her mind danced with the sight of thousand silver orbs. "Go ahead then and ask me. I may agree even though you didn't make me a star."

There was silence for a moment. Well, not exactly silent. The nearby stream kissed the rocks around it, a fox darted over a log, and even a comet flew across the sky with the slightest sigh of air. But _he_ was silent for moment.

"Sarah, make the wish." The man said taking her shaking hand in his.

"You." She placed a finger on his chest. "Are silly." She let her head fall to the side, but she rounded it back up to look at his shadowed face.

"Sarah." The voice was cold, bossy. She didn't like it, not a bit. She groaned.

Slowly she annunciated the words he was asking for, though she wasn't sure why. "I wish the Goblin King would come take me away, right now."

She gave herself away then, to the cold, dark sleep she had been asking for. She felt it wrap its arms all the way around her body and engulf her eyes. The air rushed around her in a stream of movements, and then all was silent. All was quiet. She couldn't help but compare the experience to the man who had also been silent.


	2. A Lie

She was slipping. She groaned as the light came around her eyes. Had she slept outside all night? No, it must have been days. She tried to recall the memories before she fell asleep. She moved her hand to her forehead, forbidding the opening of her eyes. The wind kissed her cheeks.

Let's see, from the beginning? Yes, she decided. That was as good as any other place to start. It all started with Laura's idea to go camping. She had a tent, a cheap tent. Invite some people and enjoy spring break getting high, laid, and drunk. Laura had a lot of friends, and quickly the camping trip had developed into an outdoor orgy—or that had become the idea. Sarah had only agreed because the word high was involved. Community weed was fun.

Then they were there. After driving several hours out of town they found some private property to settle upon and make their nest. It had belonged to someone in the group, or their parents or something. Sarah couldn't remember. She tried to count the amount of joints she rolled, or the amount of swallows she had had of beer. She quickly lost count. She had remembered, David. AHA! That was his name. She recalled the way his eyes had ravished her body while the group was setting up the tent.

Then she remembered inhaling the smoke. She could still feel the foliage caressing the inside of her throat with their taste and scent. It felt good.

But. . . what was after that?

Obviously she wasn't in the tent. . . was she? She was slightly in fear of the outside world. She took a slow breath and sat up releasing her vision.

At first, the scene was too bright. Everything was too bright. White was the better word to describe it. Her head screamed now against the opening of her eyes. _Why_, it cried in protest, _Why would you do this to me?_

The pain subsided slowly. And she took a breath.

She really wished in that moment she could recall the rest of the night, for now she was in a very nice hotel room. That's what it was, right? A hotel room? Where else would she be?

Her bed, a four poster bed, with of course a white, canopy-type curtain draped all the way around her. _That explained the white. _The sheets matched the slightly see-through curtains. A balcony, or a very large window, was open to her left allowing the wind to drift inside. Directly in front of her was an armoire, tall and detailed. A fire place was next to it, but there was no fire. There was a door across from the balcony—well double, wooden doors, either way, an exit. She noted several objects as decoration, such as profound pieces of artworks on her maroon walls, and chairs left sitting haphazardly in front of the fireplace.

She clutched the sheet closer to herself. She still wore the same clothes from—was it last night? Yet, where was she? She felt into her jean pocket. Good, her stash remained. That would have worried her had it been gone. Her rolls were in her other pocket. She tossed the sheet aside and pulled the bed curtain open getting a Claritin-clear feeling of the room. Things were more exquisite than she first imagined.

This was an expensive hotel room. Probably the Hilton, but what was she doing here?

She stood on the carpeted floor noticing her shoes had been removed. She searched the room for her shoes and a telephone, but could find neither. She ran a hand through her dark hair. "What the Hell is all this."

She stepped to the door. She was curious for a moment. What would she find on the other side…? Did she really want to know? She pondered for a instant, but then gave into the temptation and pulled the hunk of wood towards her.

She was greeted by a hall. A long hall going both directions. Doors were spaced quite far apart on both walls. Sarah looked on her door to see if there was a number for a hotel room, but it was only adorned with a small crown near the top. _The Suite_.

She chose a direction and started walking. That was all she could really do.

But then, something caught her eye. Before her was something hopping along in the direction she was headed. It looked perhaps small enough to be a child. "Wait." She called after the thing. It paused for a moment, seemed to turn, but then hopped faster. Sarah sighed in frustration. She wasn't exactly fond of children at the moment, with Toby going through his 'toddler phases' —her father's name—and her job at the daycare with constant crying children. She just wished they would all listen.

She ran faster, perhaps she could follow the child to its parents. She saw it round a corner ahead of her. She sped up, passing a few windows and pieces of artwork as she did. She rounded the corner and nearly fell down a flight of stairs. She tried to catch her breath as she flew down the encircling stairs. With each step her head protested. _God, I need coffee_.

She couldn't help but remember a certain Escher work of art as she stepped down those stairs. She continued…how long were these stairs? She leaned over the railing…Quite a ways. She groaned, but continued at a slower pace.

How long had she been walking. These stairs…they were endless. And the child…where was it? She leaned against the wall, her heart pounding. God she wished she could pull out her weed and just let it burn away in her mouth. But not here, too dangerous. She wasn't exactly in the mood to be escorted out of a nice hotel by the police. No, thanks.

She looked back up the stairs. Maybe she would just hang in her room. She could easily sit on that awesome balcony and enjoy smoking outside. That sounded nice.

It was decided. Back to her free room it was. Questions on her reason for being there be damned. However, as she reached the top of her flight of stairs, the wall that was there before was gone. Now, there was a hall. A short hall, mind you. Streams of light poured in from the narrow windows on both sides of her. Fabrics rested on the sides with strange figures performing strange acts. She was curious about the disposition of the hotel, but a free room was a free room as far as she was concerned.

If she thought her room's doors were large, she quickly changed her mind when presented with the doors before her now. They were clearly there to say something along the lines of "That's right. Be jealous." Or at least, that's what she thought. She sighed at the overdone extravagance and assumed this would be the way to the front desk, though she could not be sure; she had never been to a _fancy_ hotel before.

She stepped forward pushing the door opened. She could hear loud bustling noise as the door cracked, but as the room came into full view the entire room was hushed. She looked around her. Her breath caught in her throat as Goosebumps took hold of her arms.

Goblins stared at her from every direction, even a chicken on the floor beside her, refused to move. These creatures were adorned with an assortment of clothes ranging from expensive to raggish. Sarah's teeth began to chatter perhaps because of fear or excitement…or an over the top high. She couldn't decide.

"Where did I get that weed?" She asked herself quietly as the eyes continued to gawk at her in the fashion she gawked at them.

"If you are implying," Her eyes shot to the end of the room which seemed very far away. A shadow was slumped awkwardly in a circled chair, "That you are still intoxication, I_ have fixed that_." His words were a growl, but that was not what Sarah was worried about.

Although the man was stepping off his pedestal and out of the convenient darkness that had enveloped him, Sarah already knew who he was. She took a step back, but only one, she knew from previous meetings, one could not just run from him. _Not him._

Slowly the light played across his features, starting with those hilled boots of his. They clanked on the floor as he neared. Then his pants, seemingly of the leather variety—for they were squeezing a certain part quite tightly. Next, his arms and hands. He held a riding crop in his right, gloved hand and lightly tapped the end of the device into his left, gloved hand.

Sarah gasped and the goblins let out a giggle as the chickens fluttered. The man wasn't ready for this reaction, though. He flung the riding crop in the air causing the speed to create a _swish_ noise. The room was once again silent.

He took a few more steps forward as the light began to head up his poet's shirt, past his family ornament around his neck, and then to his miss-matched eyes. He looked arrogantly down at Sarah as she shook before him.

"Jareth." Were the words that escaped her lips before she stumbled backwards, this time, however, she caught herself.

The Goblin King smiled. So, she remembered. This was good, he thought. He had not been aware she was awake, which distantly perturbed him. She had slept at least three days—underground days. He would have liked her reintroduction to this world to be a bit less surprising, given her current state of affairs. He didn't trust her mind.

"Leave us." His voice dominated the room. There was a loud rustling, but then the room was silent, except for Sarah's breathing.

"Why…" She shook her head bringing her hands to her temples. "What am I?" She couldn't finish her words. '…_Doing here.'_ Her breath, she could not control it. Her anger and fear molded together.

Jareth rolled his eyes. "I believe the name of your species is human." He began circling her. He took in her details now; oh, how Sarah had changed. She was no longer the starry-eyed Sarah he knew—was that the right word?—but a victim of the world, of adulthood.

She stomped her foot and pressed her hands harder into her face. "I'm not here. I'm not here. Wake up, Sarah. Wake up!" It was not working. Her head was beginning to hurt again with all the pressure. So many emotions rolled through her. What was she supposed to do?

The King moved back in front of her then. Her eyes opened back up, her face unmasking her fright.

"Assuredly, you are not sleeping." Jareth grinned. "You have wished yourself here, of your freewill." He hid a cringe. Was it freewill when she was clearly under a spell cast by a plant?

Her fingers dropped to her sides. "No." She chanted. "I would never do such a thing." She tried desperately to call forth her memories again, but they were too shrouded. There was a moon, trees, and bricks. Yet, nothing was coherent.

Jareth plucked a crystal from the air and without saying a word, he held out to Sarah. She stared at the object hesitant for a second, but against her better judgment, she took it.

"What is it?" Sarah's voice cracked under fear and stress.

"It's a crystal. Nothing more. But if you turn it this way and look into it, it will show you how you arrived here." He grinned at his use of familiar words. He wondered if she had also shared in his joke, but her vivid emotions told him, that no, she had not. She was much to occupied with the device she was holding.

She turned it the way he ordered. David was there a moment, was he kissing her, the view was hazy. She saw herself suck on a roll, but suddenly she was running away from David. Then she was just walking. . . walking through the forest. The night was around her. Sarah watched as her form in the crystal ball slipped down a steep hill, rolled over a log, and landed in a creek hitting her head on large, jagged rock hiding within the dank ground. There she laid. Nothing was happening within the crystal as blood began to pool around her body with her arm disheveled at her side.

Then she heard a quiet whisper emit from her mouth. "I wish the Goblin King would take me away."

The crystal cleared, it was just blank. Sarah stared at her reflection. Then she shot an angry glance at the man before her.

"But I didn't mean it! I was high and drunk!"

His smile grew wider as took the orb from her fingers. He tossed it into the air; it didn't come back down. "Oh, Sarah, you never mean it, do you?"

"Don't you understand what that means?" She pleaded. "I wasn't sober, Jareth."

The king winced at such a casual use of his name. He grabbed the girl in front of him by the shoulders. She cowered before him.

"Not sober? Is that the phrase you use to describe someone with brain damage?" He didn't wait for her answer as he continued. "You were dieing, Sarah. For a most stupid reason. In your last words, what did you decide to do? You called for me, Sarah. You called for _me_. I fixed your head. I cleaned up your wounds with the help of some magic and I let you heal. In short, dear, I've saved your life."

He paused now to let her soak in the information. He realized the tension in his hand had grown so he released her shoulders to find her shaking. She looked up to him, tears filling her eyes. "And, now?"

He let a small laugh leave his lips. "Now? Precious, you belong to me."


	3. A Memory

"What do you mean belong to you?" Sarah's hands shook and her voice was strained. Now would be the perfect time for a nice fix, to get that feeling of dread from the pit of her stomach.

"Come now, Sarah, you have been through this before." Jareth rolled his strange eyes ostentatiously.

She was silent as the knowledge sank in. How could this happen? How could she have been so stupid? Then an idea struck her. Of course. She smiled frantically. "The labyrinth then! I'll do the labyrinth again."

"Sarah, Sarah, Sarah. How I adore your efforts. Unfortunately, I will not allow such an endeavor once more." He placed his cheek in his gloved hand, never letting his smile falter.

"But." She stammered. "But, I have done it already….for my brother. You have to let me do it again! It is the rules!" She was pleading.

Jareth may have laughed if his patience was not being tested. As it was, he was growing agitated. His smile now fled from his face. "Rules, Sarah? I am the King. I make the rules." He leaned forward causing Sarah's nervosa to jump seven-fold. He assumed the drug gave her weakness to her emotions, for she was never so upfront with her fear before. "Besides, seeing as I have saved your life, I declare you owe it to me." He found his smile now as he festooned it back into place, one corner slightly higher than the other.

How he was loving fate. The once bold, adventurer, Sarah was reduced to this fitful girl. She was to be his slave. He laughed inside; how fitting.

"And just what am I to do here?" Her neck grew painful from staring up at him. She dropped her eyes to the floor in defeat. Trapped in the Underground…but for how long? _Forever isn't very long at all._

"Hmm," The King began circling her again. He could not help but compare Sarah to that of a field mouse when he has cornered it from the sky. "Well, for starters, you are to address me as 'Your Highness' or 'Your Majesty.'" He paused, behind her, waiting for a reply.

She realized what he wanted, but she was not sure if she could muster such a saying. Pushing something back down into her stomach she let the words free. "Yes, your majesty."

He nodded although she could not see the playful gleam in his eye. How he loved to toy with his prey.

"Let's see. What can our Sarah do?" He placed a finger on his chin to mimic deep thought. "Perhaps I may have you clean the entire castle with a bar of soap and an old dirty rag? Maybe I'll have you analyze the fecal matter of my kingdom." He laughed at this thought. "No, no, perhaps not." He stepped in front of Sarah again. "I think I have a job better suited for you though."

Sarah stole a glance of his face. Jareth's entire body oozed malice. The way his eyebrows narrowed to the way his hands seemed to be restraining themselves from choking the life out of her. "And, just what, _Your Highness_, is that?" She sneered out her words.

"You will be my goblin sitter. There are so many younglings around here and they are so very distracting from their parents. So, you shall keep an eye on them, all day, everyday."

Sarah secretly hid the joy that danced under her skin. Children, he wanted her to watch children? How simple. She began to wonder if he knew of her background, or at least her job back home at the daycare. "Very Well." He stared at her. "Your Highness."

Jareth was overjoyed. How easily Sarah had given into him. The ordeal was almost not fun due to Sarah's early acceptance. Actually, it quite troubled him.

"Good. Then, you shall start tomorrow." He sauntered back to his throne, lounging powerfully against the bony armrest.

"Then I guess I'll return to my room." She turned to leave. "If you'll excuse—"

"Oh, Sarah." Jareth's voice rang with a sort of amusement. She turned to face him her face wreathing. "The room you have been residing in is a guest room."

"Am I not a guest?"

He ignored the fact that she was deliberately refusing to address him properly. He let a low chuckle escape his lips. "No, Sarah. _You are a belonging_. Tell me, dear, where do belongings go?"

Her teeth grit together, almost paining her jaw. "I do not know, Jareth. Where do they belong?"

His temper flared. How dare she use his name! He pushed the anger back down. He mustn't let her affect him so. "Sarah of all people, I would think you to know. It is the same place you have stuffed all of your fifteen year-old items." He let his eyebrows cock.

When he spoke, his voice had lost all sense of humor. "In the back of the closet."

He snapped his fingers causing a goblin to appear in the air. It screamed wildly before landing on the stone floor, face first. Sarah gasped at the little creature before her. It was the one she had been following! She recognized the green hat covering his red hair, but now she looked in his bright, yellow eyes. She was slightly disgusted by his large, pig nose and black fingernails. He grumbled as he picked himself up.

"Take Miss Williams to her new room, Flagger." Jareth looked out a window, showing how clearly disinterested he was in Sarah now.

The goblin looked to his master. His bushy eyebrows conjoined as he made a face—perhaps to hold some nasty words in. The creature stepped past Sarah and led her through the doorway. Sarah did not set eyes on the Goblin king as she was escorted away.

When the wooden doors closed behind Sarah, Jareth let his cold mask drop. He knew this feeling, didn't he? He had felt it once before, a long time ago. He recalled the specific moment vividly. He saw the white dress she had worn adorned with glitter and jewels. Then his eyes took in the milky cream of her face and locked his vision with those deep, brown eyes.

And then, they danced. They danced in a most obscure rhythm. He couldn't keep time with the music too well, not with those eyes burning him. All he could see was those eyes. They carried so much magic and curiosity.

That was the last time he had felt this emotion: guilt. He had felt guilty then for dancing with Sarah when she had other obligations. He laughed. How easily she had given into him though. But why had it caused him guilt? He shouldn't have cared if he was stopping her from saving her _brother_.

The subtle feeling was creeping all over his bones. This time, he had lied to her. He easily recalled the spell he had placed on the orb to remove him from her memory of that night. Yet, he wasn't sure if this little spell would work.

Needless to say, he was quite pleased when he realized she had no remembrance of that night. Then, again, it was probably due to her slight bump-on-the-head.

He momentarily looked around the throne room enjoying the quiet a bit too much. He was falling into places he was not ready to explore himself.

He should have left her. He was aware of this. He slammed a hard fist upon his arm rail. Damn his willpower. He had promised himself when he began watching Sarah, he would never meddle with her affairs—he locked his jaw—even if she was being profusely stupid with the Aboveground's plants. He brushed his hair lazily away from his shoulder. Though he had promised himself, or someone, he would only be an observer, he was forced to intervene.

He had been sure her intellect had dissipated when she led that ugly man away from her friends. He had been even more sure when the man leaned into her neck. He had fought an utmost strong urge to leave his owl form and destroy the boy in that very second. Yet, he refrained.

This was when he saw Sarah's eyes flash wildly under the moonlight. She looked at the man before her and then screamed wildly before lurching herself into the forest.

Jareth couldn't control himself then. He felt the situation take on a darker tone. He descended from the tree branch he had been residing in. He landed in his human form, obtruding the boy from Sarah's path.

"I suggest," Jareth began stopping himself from turning the pathetic mortal to dust, "You turn around and return to camp."

The boy eyed Jareth suspiciously. Jareth groaned in annoyance. In the present however, Jareth admired the boy's ability to care for a girl he had only just met. Although the bloody human had wasted a King's time, he did attempt to protect Sarah. Still, he could not bring himself to approve of _that boy._

"I'm a good friend of Sarah's" Jareth feigned wishing he had chosen some other attire for this particular outing. His usual Goblin King wardrobe of dark cape, wild hair, and tight pants didn't help him with this annoying _thing's _favor.

Finally, the idiot threw his arms up into the air in surrender. "Probably a theater friend." The guy Sarah had once called Daniel sighed and began walking in the direction of the camp. Jareth turned and ran after Sarah. His heart pumped in this ears with fury, but what was he enraged about? This boy? Himself? No, it was Sarah. She had created this mess.

He soon found her, lying on the ground. He knew something was wrong immediately the way her body coiled on the ground. Jareth saw the blood dripping from her skull. He picked her up, unsure of where he planned to take her. His mind was jolting from his forehead. She may have had a concussion or possibly worse, but Sarah wanted to go to sleep.

He desperately wanted to save her. Every fiber of his being longed to keep this wretched, helpless girl alive, but he couldn't. He didn't have enough magic Aboveground to do what was necessary to keep her thriving. The only way Sarah could survive that far out and avoid the troubles of her land's legal system, was for Sarah to wish herself away.

He placed her out of his mind as he began trying carefully to slide his mask back into place. He could almost feel it latch on to his cheeks and adhere to his skin.

He waved a hand in the air as his subjects appeared in the throne room. They fell back into their way of playing and dancing. Jareth just smiled.

* * *

When the giant throne doors closed behind Sarah, the small goblin glanced up to her. He made a distained face.

"What's the matter with you?" She asked remembering that she used to be a friendly person, but that was when she was fifteen.

"My name is not Flagger." The Goblin derided the door as if shooting the Goblin King on the other side an angry stare. "My name is Flogray."

"Yes, well, His Highness only cares for himself, Flogray." Sarah followed the goblin down the hall and to the stairs…except the stars were splitting many different ways. Some stairs went up, some down. _Some sideways?_ "This…is strange."

The Goblin in front of her scoffed, "Magic castles do magic things."

"Then how do you know your way around, Flogray?"

The Goblin chose a flight of stairs leading down as she asked the question. He smiled, his big ears twitching in pride. "A human girl wouldn't understand."

Sarah was in the mood to argue, but for some reason she bit her tongue. She knew, if she let one ounce of her emotions slip, everything she felt in that moment would explode. And, all of it would fall on to Flogray's shoulders.

They went up stairs and down stairs. They walked through fancy hallways and then, suddenly the atmosphere changed. The rich feeling the castle had before, now became more of a lonely feeling. The once long, golden halls became gray and dull. Dust and cobwebs hid in the corners and ran to the edge of the floor.

Flogray stopped and turned to a door on the side of the hall. The door was very ancient and monotonous. "This is your room." With that, Flogray continued down the hall, leaving Sarah standing in front of a quite boring door.

Slowly, she went inside the small room. Yes, _a closet_, that seemed to describe the estate of the room. There were empty crates stacked upon each other with dirty sheets thrown on top of those. Her bed was a cot shoved in the corner of the room under a small square window. The walls of the room were stone gray and bare.

Sarah, once again, checked her pocket with a nice pat. Good, now was the time to get high.


	4. A Vocation

**An:** Just a little reminder; I **do not** support the use of drugs. This is rated mature because it does glorify the use of drugs and because of a strong scene that will occur later.

* * *

Sarah pulled out her plastic bag and decided there was enough for a small high everyday for about two weeks. _Rations_, she told herself. It was her only chance. Then again, maybe some of the goblins had a similar drug. Why wouldn't they? Goblins had to have some sort of way to reach this feeling of ultimate numbness. Right?

Sarah hoped so.

She took a long drag off her joint. The frontal lobe of her brain began to feel lighter. What a feeling. She let it go then. All the fear she had, escaped through her fingertips. Jareth's face danced in her vision. How she feared this man…man? What was he? Could men have magical powers…it _was_ Sarah's only fear.

But she knew he was something else as well. The question was:_ what_?

Sarah took another drag. She was thinking too much. Jareth sparked feelings in her she did not like. The lack of sensation began to take her. Gravity was leaving.

A knock came on Sarah's door. She put the joint on her window's sill. "Come in," she chanted hearing the strange echoes in her head.

The door creaked opens as a female goblin trotted in. Her floppy ears were pierced and she carried a silver dome in her hands, "I've brought yer eatens."

Sarah nodded. She was not the type of person to get the munchies. Actually, she was the type of person to never get hungry when they were getting high.

The blue haired goblin sat the tray down on one of the many crates in Sarah's room. Dust scattered.

"I'll need to take ye measurements." The Goblin stated eyeing Sarah's hips.

Sarah picked the joint back up and finished a quick smoke. "Why do you need them?" God, she felt so mellow.

"Well," the goblin placed her hands on her own hips as if to do a comparison, "If yer supposed to be stayin her, ya need more clothes."

Sarah smiled. Of course. That sounded wonderful. Sarah stepped across the room as the goblin pulled out a strangely marked string. Sarah thought about asking questions, but thought better of it. She wasn't exactly of proper mind to understand the answer anyway.

"Your name?" asked Sarah, unsure of the goblin before her.

The goblin scrutinized her for a moment before answering with Audra. She went on to stretch her yarn diagonal across Sarah's body and then wrapped it around Sarah's shoulders. The string snaked across Sarah's every curve until coming to her feet. Audra paused for a moment, and the measuring device dissipated. At first, Sarah thought this might be a product of her taste for chemicals, but then she remembered: _this was the Underground._

Sarah had an idea strike her, which was strange considering her state of mind. "Could you do a few special requests?"

Audra tilted her head to the left, contemplating the question. "That would…depend." She frowned, she did not like this _mortal_.

Sarah smiled understanding what Audra meant. She reached up under her shirt and unclipped the bra that acted as a support, and handed Audra the lacy contraption.

"I think I'm going to need a few more of these." Her fingers dangled the mid-sized cups above Audra's head. She eyed the alien garment masterfully, "We shall see." She snatched the item quickly from Sarah's hands and left the room.

Sarah was still too high to care about her now upper freedom, or the stars dotting the skies. She didn't care about the children she would take care of for the rest of her life, and she didn't give a thought to the family she had left behind. No, all Sarah cared about was the two miss-matched eyes that were arrogantly laughing at her.

* * *

Sarah awoke the next morning to a loud rapping on her door. She didn't have the chance to invite the annoying sound in, when three goblins were suddenly barging through the door. One of them she recognized as Flogray, but the other two were new.

One had an orange shirt, but the shirt was quite humanly—it fell to the goblin's knees. The other—a very small goblin—carried a tray over his head, much like the one Sarah received the previous night and never touched.

"You are needed, Lady Sarah." The smallest one squealed. "Must eat and hurry."

Sarah looked at the creatures with dazed eyes. Her dreams of reaching for a star and never catching it were still slightly continuing in her mind. She took the silver top from the tray and eyed a white bubbling substance. It resembled the excrement of oatmeal.

Not daring to touch the poison before her, Sarah pulled herself out of bed and wiped her eyes. Her sides hurt from the stiffness in the cot. She groaned as she tried a stretch, but her shoulders stiffened tightly. The goblin in the orange shirt seemed to pull a pile of clothes from nowhere and was now thrusting them at Sarah. She smiled slightly when she saw a new bra on top. Hmm, this day may not be so bad.

Unfortunately, Sarah quickly changed her mind when she stood outside the room she had been escorted to. The walls were shaking with inner screams and pounding hands. The walls shifted causing dirt to fall from the ceilings. The three goblins and Sarah all jumped back from the still unopened door with fear of it collapsing. Sarah picked at her raggish clothes nervously. They had called her _Lady_ Sarah.

She looked at the goblins beside her, but they were jutting off in different directions. There was no escaping the torment in front of her. She pulled the door towards herself and braced herself for the wave of screams suddenly in her face. The room smelled of odors Sarah could have never imagined, while the estate of the room was exactly that of fifty or so children.

What fun!

Sarah stepped inside and the screaming and laughter ceased momentarily. All eyes were on her, she felt it was reminiscent of the throne room just the day before. They were all wide, unsure eyes.

Goblin children were everywhere. They were climbing on stained curtains. They were under crooked tables. They were riding around on each other. They were hanging from lights on the ceiling. They were hiding under rugs and blankets. They were sliding across the floors. They were all emanating the aura of 'wild' within the room. Sarah knew she had her work cut out for her.

Silently, she pulled the door behind her shut. She could tell there were no other adults in the room. Were they raised to be this way?

She cracked her knuckles as the screaming began to ensue, again.

* * *

Jareth looked down at the documents before him. Letters, requesting his appearance with the leaders of the underground. He placed his cheek in a tired, gloved hand. He knew what this meeting was about. He wasn't exactly _ecstatic _for it either.

They would come begging to _him_, as always. He smirked. After-all, he was the most powerful and he could save. However, he did not wish to rule an entire kingdom. No, Jareth was content with his Labyrinth and the fun he endured while ruling it. Although the goblins could be a nuisance, he rather enjoyed their immature humor and taste for trouble. Well, he was their king.

Also, though he would never admit to it, Jareth had other things on his mind. There was a certain girl who kept interrupting his thoughts. He wondered how she was holding up with the babes. Half of him was enjoying the torment which was assured to occur, but the other half was withholding himself from saving her. Saving her from what? Jareth wasn't sure of that. Yet, he knew he wanted to prove to this girl that he could be more than a monster. He wanted to show her a softer side, a lovable side. Jareth wanted Sarah to see the beauty inside the beast.

He laughed. What beauty was within him? He was Jareth, _king of the bloody goblins_. Not exactly the sort you brag about to your classmates at a reunion. His smile dropped. If anything, he should strip this girl of her dignity. The only obstacle in his way: himself.

He pushed all his important papers violently off his desk. They crashed to the floor in a torrent. He couldn't find the strength to treat Sarah the same way. Even though, at least the way it felt to him, she had crushed his heart.

Within moments he found himself standing in front of the barrier that separated him from Sarah. He stared at it menacingly contemplating his type of entrance, _if_ he were to enter. Then something hit him. The realization of not a single utterance. The walls were still, the floor solid. Now, or so he told himself, his curiosity required satisfaction. What on Earth had caused these children to stop their ruckus?

Soon, he found himself within the room. All the goblins were sleeping. Each and everyone of them were huddled on the floor curled up and quiescent. He stared in awe at the little, resting demons before feeling his attention drawn to the other corner of the room. There staring out a very large, stained-glass, window with a baby on her arm, was Sarah. She rocked the child back and forth humming softly. Her vision did not leave that of the labyrinth below her.

He wondered, while he stood watching her, if she was reliving the same old story, or if perhaps she was proceeding through the labyrinth on a new quest. One, he wasn't involved in.

She turned then, eyes glazed over, and put the baby she had been holding in one of the many cribs of the daycare room. Only now, did she take in the entirety of the area. She had been so busy playing games with the _children_—she refrained from calling them other names—she hadn't noticed how large the room was, or how royal the room looked. The curtains, although filthy, were indeed lined with gold accents and extreme details. The floor seemed to house a large picture if cleaned and viewed from above. The windows each held a luscious stained image shimmering with light. She wondered what possessed Jareth to shove all the kids in this room. It seemed much too nice for pipsqueaks that didn't care for niceties and fineness.

She sighed, running a habitual hand through her hair brown locks. She spun enjoying the silence bestowed upon her. How had she done it? Even she wasn't sure.

Then she saw him. He leaned against the door frame casually, slight amusement flickering within his eyes. She stopped her spinning, her hair flying faintly in her face. There was a strange moment lingering in the air. Neither of them touched it.

Finally, one of the children began to stir. Sarah broke eyes with the king and tended to the child. She was annoyed to find the child only wanted to roll over. Then her attention returned to _him_.

He had stepped closer, so as not to wake the sleepers when he spoke. "I would ask you how you achieved this—" he waved around the room "—situation, but I'm afraid it must be a deeply coveted secret."

Sarah was startled. Was _His Majesty_ attempting a joke? The whole idea of the state of matter seemed joke like. Then again, he was one that did appear to have a tendency to pick on those inferior to him.

Sarah noticed then, the depletion of light within the room. She was amazed at how quickly the day seemed to fly by.

"Piece of cake." Sarah said wiping some sweat on her apron.

The Goblin King laughed. "I would be careful how you use those words, Sarah." He cocked an eyebrow. "Do you remember what happened last time?"

Sarah nodded. Of course she remembered. _The cleaners. _She withheld a shudder.

Jareth looked at the girl before him thinking about those days himself. "Your time is up for today."

He left her and appeared in his office again. His papers had already been returned to his desk, perhaps by fairies or goblins. He growled as he shot a glance around the room. How he had lost himself in the way Sarah held that child! An ugly goblin child, at that!

Jareth had seen something else though when he looked at her. This is the image he growled toward. He saw Sarah by that window, but holding _his_ child. He saw Sarah gently kissing his baby and singing lullabies to his creation. Then in his vision, he saw himself, creeping behind them and kissing Sarah softly on her neck. He saw himself run a hand through the thin hairs of his child's. And for a moment, his heart was satisfied.

But other parts were not. And he knew, his imagination could never come true.

Sarah was escorted back to her pathetic room. She was given the substance they called 'food' to eat yet again. Her stomach was roaring at her so she tried the substance and was not surprised by how terrible it tasted. She could only a muster a few bites before tossing the rest of the puke out her small window.

Then, she settled in her cot, pulled out her goodie bag and lit up. Soon, she passed out with all those bad feelings floating away.


	5. A Break

Sarah heard the knocks, but she didn't heed them. "Just five more minutes." She grumbled rolling over on the noisy cot. On accident she moved her face so she was laying facedown. She had learned earlier that the cot smelled almost as bad as the daycare room. She took a huge whiff of the vile scent as the knocking grew louder and the door erupted.

"Lady Sarah!" It was Audra. "Ya must get up, eat, and go to work." Her voice was strained and worrisome as _lady_ Sarah rolled over and saw Audra with a silver tray in hand. Sarah lifted the tray with high hopes, but was greeted with the same bubbling cream substance. Yum.

"I'm not eating that." She was tempted to throw the whole concoction towards the wall. The goblin's eyes were filled with annoyance as she brought forth another stack of peasant clothes.

"Hurry up and change then, or else yer gonna be late." Audra threw the clothes at Sarah.

"Oh, no. We wouldn't want that." She mumbled.

Sarah was pleased to find the little pests were actually happy to see her. They were calm and they listened when she spoke. The goblins were eager to play her Aboveground games and learn even more of them.

Even Sarah found herself enjoying the children as well. She laughed when they told her a silly joke and she smiled when she chased them in a game of free tag. She was surprised when she looked up to the doorway absent mindedly and saw Jareth, standing in a daze, arms lazily crossed. She stopped pursuing the children and watched him curious eyes. Her mouth dropped forming into an 'O' of surprise, though she lacked shock.

Finally, he returned to his mind. He smiled at Sarah, waving a hand to hypnotically bring her closer.

"Is something, amiss?" She asked shooing the children off. She was amazed with how in awe they were of Jareth—he didn't notice.

"Well, it seems you are enjoying your vocation a little too much." Jareth flexed his hands.

She turned to the children then back to Jareth. "Did you mean this torture?"

He smirked slightly. "Come," he said ignoring her question, "it is time for lunch. He turned out of the room. Sarah hesitated eyeing the children unsure. She didn't want to leave them alone. Then, from the door, a goblin stepped in grumbling words Sarah did not understand. The children began screaming at the sight of the odd creature. She ran out the door after Jareth.

He was waiting there impatiently, for a frown had moved to his face. "You shouldn't keep royalty, waiting."

Sarah rolled her eyes and stepped past him. "Oh, do forgive me, _your majesty_." She said dramatically.

"Sarah." Jareth's voice challenged from behind her. "Do you know where you are going?"

She stopped mid-step and turned to her captor with annoyance. She sighed in defeat. "Please, lead the way your highness."

Sarah didn't know what to make of the situation while she followed Jareth silently through the castle. Normally, the goblins would bring her a fruit for lunch and she would eat it while the children slept. She followed Jareth, deep in thought out the castle doors and to a fragrant backyard.

"Oh," she noticed a blanket lain across the ground. Flower bushes of extravagant petals the likes of which Sarah had never seen surrounded the area. A fountain, large and deep nestled itself into the corner lapping water through statues of mermaids and life-size fairies. There were weeping willow trees that seemed to whisper secret things you could only know if you stepped within their branches. Even the sky was the bluest Sarah had ever laid her eyes on. Suddenly, the blanket was a miniscule detail within the vast scenery.

Sarah turned, trying to take in the extremity of it all. Never had she imagined such a place could lay hidden behind the labyrinth. "This spot is so…" She trailed off realizing she wanted to have a cool mask like Jareth.

Jareth relaxed on the blanket, and old-fashioned basket appeared beside him. Sarah joined him after a moment of taking in the beauty. He had struggled with this thought all morning. He longed to spend time with Sarah. He wanted to see her more than he should want to see her. It was unhealthy for his kingdom. Sure, he wanted her, _had always wanted her_, but now that she was actually in his castle, he had to have her.

She sat down next to him as a slight breeze picked up. Her smell of vomit laced with her natural scent wafted toward Jareth. He was both disgusted and amused.

"What's the catch?" asked Sarah after settling herself down.

"Hmm?" Jareth mused, distracted by his thoughts. Sarah ran a hand through her hair. "You know, what's going to happen to me? What is my new punishment? Do I have to kiss your boots or something?"

Jareth laughed. _That would _be comical. "Oh, dear, I do believe you have a sour opinion of me."

"Am I off?"

Jareth laid back, annoyed with the conversation, "I simply though you might enjoy a meal outdoors." He closed his eyes taking in everything around him.

"You are a strange man. One minute you want to punish me, and then the next you want to take me on a picnic. Pardon me if I am reluctant to take this for face value."

Jareth's eyebrow twitched. "Sarah. Just be quiet; for once in your life, don't talk back. One must take care of what one owns."

She made fists at her side digging her nails into her palm. She literally had to bite her tongue to keep from saying something stupid. Oh, she wanted to. She had a lovely vocabulary set up for Jareth, but she wanted good food more than she wanted to burn him at the moment. She opened the basket and was astonished by the amount of food tucked away inside. Bread, fruit, and things Sarah had never seen before seemed to be begging for a tongue.

"Go ahead." Jareth said musically without opening his eyes. He hadn't realized how tired he was.

Sarah munched on an assortment of goodies quietly as she watched baby dragons play-fight by the fountain. Soon, she was full and tired herself. She looked at the figure beside her. Either he was a good actor, or was completely out. Since, she was from the Aboveground she didn't have any experience with awaking kings.

So, she stared at him. She took in his high cheek bones, ruffled hair, and darkened eyes. She wondered how disgusted he would be with her if he knew she often imagined those she kissed had been him. That led her to wonder what kissing him would be like. That led her to wonder what touching him would be like, _what feeling him would be like._ It was a strange urge she only felt around him, not the other boys. She wanted to grab his arrogant ass and force him kiss her. She could almost smell the bog of stench now; oh, how he would punish her. Damn, she couldn't even say his name.

And there he slept, this blissfully unaware king. She could kill him now, simply strangle, stab, or hit with something very hard and she was free. Yet, she somehow doubted that, considering she was quite certain he was harder to kill than a human. Then, there was also the issue that she wouldn't be able to kill him. Even the thought unsettled her stomach.

She found herself full circle again. How to awake this king. Sarah knew that being king came with responsibilities and Jareth couldn't be an exception. Could he?

But he looked so serene as he laid there. Even though Sarah knew he was evil, twisted, wrong, egotistical, _an ass_…She still could not help but think that Jareth had the qualities of an angel as he slept there. _How can I think that of a monster?_

Without thought, she let her fingers trace his jaw-line. Back and forth. She pushed some hair from his now turned face and grazed his cheek. His eyes twitched then slowly opened, clouded. His hand came to land on hers while his eyes adjusted. Then he tossed it away.

For a moment, he thought he had been dreaming. Yes, he had felt her warm hand touch him and how it affected him! As much as he enjoyed the electric passing through his body, he didn't like the power she had over him. You have no power over me. _But you have me._ He thought inwardly.

No, the king couldn't afford this kind of weakness. A girl, a human girl, shouldn't have this effect on him. It would put his whole kingdom in jeopardy, especially with the danger scouring the Underground. Having Sarah wasn't safe, and what he would be willing to do for Sarah wasn't safe for his kingdom.

But, now that Jareth had her back, he wouldn't give her up. . . or couldn't. Not knowing whether he possessed the _ability_to release Sarah had kept him awake these last few nights, which was dangerous.

Sarah watched him sit as she hid the pain of him slapping her hand away. "I was afraid you'd be pissed if I let you sleep when I'm sure you have things to do." _Why do I care if he's pissed?_

He nodded. "Yes, quite." With a wave of his hand, the basket vanished along with the blanket under them. "Come, I'll take you back to work."

When they were almost to the nursery Sarah broke the silence. "I was wondering. . ."

Jareth turned to face her. "Hmm?"

Sarah hated how tall he was, "What of my friends? You didn't punish them, did you?"

Jareth chuckled. "No, you took care of that, love." He stepped toward her causing her to step back into the wall. How he enjoyed watching her cower.

"Me?" She stretched her neck to meet his eyes. "What did I do?"

Jareth began to fiddle with a stray lock of her hair near her chin, toying with her. "Tell me, when was the last time you said 'hello' to your _friends_?"

Sarah felt guilty the moment he asked the question. "Almost five years." She let her eyes drop to the floor.

Jareth pulled her chin up. "My, aren't you a delightful companion. I wonder how many times they had saved your life, and you just stopped talking to them. You use people the way I do."

At that she snapped. "Don't ever compare me to you." Her teeth were clenched her eyebrows heavy. "We are nothing alike. You are a pathetic king who has to steal children for kicks, I had to deal with living in another world from my friends. I never used them."

Jareth only smiled. His hand tightened on her pointed chin. "I'll be leaving for a while, a few days. I suggest you change your attitude, Sarah, or else you'll wish I'd left you dead in the woods." Then he vanished.

Sarah ignored the pleasure searing her neck and murmured after the beast, "What makes you think I don't already wish that?"

* * *

She was relieved when the day was over and she was back in her room—no, prison cell. The day was just too strange. She assumed Jareth had brought her away from the children to torture her himself, but due to his tiredness, he failed. She laughed at this thought. He failed at the labyrinth, at giving her a task she couldn't handle, and now at torturing her in person. He was all around failure.

But, if that were true, why did Sarah have this feeling of dread and guilt ever since he left her there thinking about her friends. It was an underhanded cut. A deep jab she could tell he had been saving for a while.

That still didn't explain why he had taken her outside. _Weird. He's just weird. _

She dug out her stash with shaking, excited fingers. Rolled herself a joint, and fell away from the tingles dancing in her fingertips.


	6. A Conflict

**An:** Many mythologies take place in this story from from Greek, African, Egyptian, and Christian. Christian is a bit more prominent in this chapter. Please take **no ****offense**. I'm agnostic lack support for any religion.

* * *

Sarah stared out the colored window while the children slept. The sun was creeping behind the hills stretching her last rays into the orange sky. Sarah sighed unconsciously. To put it plainly, she was lonely. It had been days since she last spoke with anyone. Even Audra wouldn't converse with her. "Wake up, eat, follow." Those were the only words exchanged.

Sarah was bored. Worst of all—though she wouldn't admit it aloud—she was missing Jareth. That and she was running low on pot. Fighting _with him _was better than the mundane routine she had fallen in to.

She arrived at the doorway meeting her escort there. "Why is the castle so quiet?" She asked Flogray.

"King Jareth is out." He rolled his eyes.

"Okay. . . but what does that have to do with my question?" She wanted to step on the little bugger.

"He puts a spell on the castle so we can't get to rowdy." The Goblin laughed. "We can make some hefty messes."

Sarah giggled too. "Yes, I have to agree."

"I could show you our messes some time." Flogray looked up to her. "Or you could help us make them!"

Sarah thought for a moment. "That actually sounds like fun. Really? I would love to help you make a mess."

The goblin jumped up and down. "What boggish fun!" Then he grew quiet and whispered: "As soon as Jareth comes back and lifts his security we'll sneak out one day and trash the Gargoyle room! They always keep candy from Aboveground there."

"They won't get mad will they?" Sarah put a hand on her doorknob.

"Who cares? They raid the goblin quarters all the time. Last time they stole my orange shoes. Don't know why they like orange things." At that, he turned and scurried down the corridor.

Sarah looked around her gray room. Nope. She couldn't do it. She couldn't stay in this terrible excuse for a bedroom another night.

However, after walking a few steps, she wasn't sure where exactly she was going. She looked back at her door and laughed. She decided _anywhere_ was better than that room. Therefore, she grabbed some things and stepped out into the hall.

By some magic or another, she found herself outside under the moon. The air smelled sweet and the air was cool. It was a small-enclosed area, nestled within the castle. In a small courtyard was where she currently found herself. She didn't mind in the least. There were several small benches surrounded by flowers outlining the stone walkway. A lone peach tree grew slanted shading the area from a few beams of the moon. Sarah wasn't too pleased to see peaches.

She found a nice spot under the tree leaning against the trunk. She pulled out the small amount of weed she brought with her. She thought it wise to leave most of it in her room, though there wasn't much to leave. She probably had three days left, at the most. She had been taking extra drags these last few, boring days.

She rolled and lit up her key to escape from the Underground. She took one puff and let it fill her. She began to bring the weed back to her mouth when she was stopped.

"Sarah. . . " The voice startled her. She was sure it was product of the high setting on early mixing with exhaustion. Nevertheless, that baritone sounded so real. Maybe she could bring him into this fantasy. She sucked down a long inhale. His name slipped from her lips. His face hovered behind her eyelids.

"What, in the Underground, are you doing?"

Sarah's eyes snapped open. "Shit." She mumbled dropping the joint in the grass beside her. Before her stood the Goblin king looking quite tired and grossly annoyed.

"I was entertaining myself." She stood up, not even feeling a slight buzz as she stamped out the waste of green.

She looked into the eyes of the moonlit man before her. The shadows across his face were hard and sharp. She took in his cape, deep black, and matching outfit. He would pass for the perfect goth.

He grabbed her wrists pinning them to her sides. "Entertainment?" He laughed without humor. "You call damaging your body _Entertainment_?"

"What else am I supposed to do? Hmm, Jareth? I'm bored!" She struggled to free her wrists and stepped out of his grasp. "Remember, you have no power over me." She turned away from him, but he instantly appeared in front of her.

"Oh, Sarah." He laughed the same laugh again. "You belong to me. _Power_?" He was sneering, "That's not just what I have on you, but I have a claim."

"Sure." Said Sarah nervously. She had never seen him angry. "I owe you my life, but that doesn't mean I have to bow to your every whim. If I want to get high, I'm going to. End. Of. Story." Jareth stepped toward her again. "Seriously, learn about personal space." She attempted to step back, but Jareth wordlessly put his arms around her pulling her into him.

Sarah closed her eyes and fought the urge to take a quick whiff of his dark shirt. She held her hands at her sides so she wouldn't pull his head into her neck—no, now was not the time for that.

She pushed him away from her and realized he had transported them to her cell.

Furiously, Jareth began lifting boxes and crates one at a time. Tunnel vision clouded his judgment on what was worthy of hiding things in and what was absolutely pointless. Fire was burning through him. He wanted to shake her like a spoiled child. For a split second, he wished he could _wish_ her away back home, but rules were rules.

She had wished herself here, and with the other rule—one can only do the labyrinth once—she was stuck. Unless by some chance they found a loophole. That was unlikely.

His eyes found hers. He could see a sense of fright hiding behind a mask of uncaring. Then he watched her eyes flash across the room then back to his. 'Ah, thank you, Sarah.'

He followed her gaze and lifted a pair of old clothes. He pulled plastic bag free and held it before both of them.

"What are you doing?" She asked apprehensively stepping toward him, reaching for it.

He pulled it away from her grasp and stepped toward the window. "I am freeing you Sarah." He sighed, and dumped the contents of the bag out the window. The wind picked up scattering the leaf fragments across the kingdom. He watched for a moment, making sure a patch of it hadn't clumped together. Then he turned to Sarah.

She gawked wide-eyed at the window. She slightly noticed him stuff the plastic bag into his pocket, but that was faraway. "What have you done?" Her voice was quiet. Her eyes found the ground.

"You are too strong a girl—too much will—to answer to a plant night after night." Jareth didn't like to see her this way, not his Sarah lost without substance. He watched her fall to her knees.

She looked into the blank space before her. The future: wake up, eat slop, baby-sit, sleep. Getting high was the only thing she could count-on, the only thing she made part of the routine. "It was all I had Jareth. The only thing _for me_." She looked at him. Her eyes were red, palms turned up, and face broken. "_Congratulations. _You have taken everything from me."

"It was just a drug." Jareth stepped past her, "You call me a pathetic king, but you a pathetic child."

"Just leave. Shut the door on your way out." She didn't move.

"Tell me why it matters, Sarah. From what I understand, this drug isn't even addictive."

Sarah looked up to him now with a certain kind of rejection in her eyes. Her face had gone white like the flag of a war's surrender. "It's called psychological dependence you, asshole. Get. Out." Sarah wasn't there anymore, but a possessive, cracked girl replaced her.

He watched her for a moment. He hesitated, then, strangely, he did as he was told. It wasn't a long moment, however, until he pulled a crystal ball from the air and watched her.

He was in his bedroom now, sinking into the hot bath. She was finally sleeping, after sobbing on herself half the night. He let the crystal dissipate and laid his head back to rest. The water felt wonderful all over. He imagined the small waves as Sarah's fingertips caressing his chest. He smirked. Tonight's little stunt would make sure she never touched him like that. Nonetheless, his torso ached.

Jareth wasn't exactly having the best week. He recalled the past few days with a tiring effect. He wasn't decidedly pleased with his present task.

"Find a replacement, or marry." That's what Godger—nickname, God—had said. It was all cliché in itself. Jareth even laughed then. So did God, this big burly creation complete with beard and the age of 6,239,732,123. "No, just kidding."

"I'm aware of that." Jareth told his father. "How many of my siblings have you pulled that on?"

"Well, Chris gave in, but all he has is the North Pole and those elves. He should have known I was kidding, but now he's got himself a wife. Don't understand why he only goes out once a year though."

"Well, perhaps he deems his birthday an important event in which he must hand out gifts to everyone. Kind of egotistical in a way." Jareth smirked. His younger brother was such a buffoon.

"I suppose."

They were silent for a few moments. Jareth watched the table between them clear as the fae servants cleared the dishes. Why is father insisted on living in the desert, Jareth would never understand. The oasis was nice though, a lovely addition to the dry heat.

"In all seriousness," Jareth looked up to the man speaking, "You need to kill Enyo." The old man sighed. "That or marry her."

"She is desperately seeking control of the underground. All I want is the labyrinth and the goblins. What does she want with me?" Jareth took a swig of his Cimmeria wine (very rare).

"Well, her plans involve killing me, but I really don't feel like stopping her. I figure, if she gets to me, then she can have the world. She deserves it after that hard work." God smiled. "To get to me, she has to get the whole underground, which she has almost done. Good job not concerning yourself with the hostile takeover by with way."

"I try to avoid that which doesn't pertain to me." Jareth thought a moment. "But I will stop her because I'm quite bored. Babies aren't wished away like they used to be. I guess parents are more loving."

Godger took a drink now, "Nah, they just leave them outside nowadays."

"Or, I could marry Enyo, and we could kill you together." He muddled over the idea. Enyo wasn't exactly ugly; in fact, she was one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen.

God shrugged. "Honestly, I don't care. Just get off your ass, for the love of myself. All you've done the last five years is sulk. Big deal, someone beat you at your game. It was about time is all I say. How long was it? Five hundred years right?"

Jareth nodded. "That was the last time it was beaten."

"Who was it that beat it then?"

"Henry the eighth. Finally got himself a male heir and wished him away. It was fun to see that idiot fear me. Some how, he beat me." Jareth rolled his eyes. It was an embarrassment.

"Well, don't let me know what you decided to do about this Enyo business. I like to be surprised." God waved a hand at a servant. "Tell the Angels to expect me." The fae nodded before casting a glance at Jareth and vanishing.

"Have fun sorting out the souls. I'll be leaving." Jareth lifted his eyes to the sun then transformed into his owl form. It was a long flight home, but he loved the feel of air under his wings.

He was quite eager to see Sarah again. How long had it been? Five days ago. He soared over his large castle around the hedges of the maze and finally he landed in the courtyard—the safest place to transform. He had let her name escape his lips in anticipation, even though it was past evening. She was probably asleep. He'd have to wait.

"Jareth." Then he saw her. His temper flared.

He dragged himself from the bath and flicked his towel across his chiseled shoulders, drying the ends of his hair. He was tired of thinking about her constantly. Yet, there she was. Then he wondered if he was addicted to her the way she was addicted to her plant… Hmm…He didn't like thinking about that weakness.

He dried himself off and slipped into his bed. He tossed a few times before finally checking on Sarah one more time. She was still asleep, but because he was Jareth, he could tell her dreams weren't about butterflies and lollipops.


	7. A Moment

She stared at the wall as a spider crawled in between the cracks of the gray bricks. She jumped slightly as Audra knocked on her door. Sarah didn't move. The knocks grew louder. Then she could hear Audra try to open the door. Sarah smiled slightly to herself. She sat up and eyed her barricade. It was marvelous. Crates stacked upon boxes and other assortments kept her locked within her room. Audra banged on the door more hectic this time. Nope, Sarah didn't budge.

She had lost count of the days, but she hadn't left her room in a while. She told Audra she was sick and couldn't be around the children for fear of spreading her disease. Audra bought it without telling the king. Then, just last night, Sarah decided her prison could become her tomb.

She couldn't do it. Answer to some arrogant king, eat food that may or may not kill humans, have no friends, existence other than that of with children. No, no, no. Jareth had broke her, taken everything from her. The one thing that was hers, that gave her peace of mind, he destroyed.

And lately she had been thinking about her family. Mostly Toby. He was almost five and half now. He wouldn't even remember her. _What a pity_.

She brought her knees to her chest and the knocking stopped. No, she wouldn't eat today. She wouldn't eat anymore. What was the point?

Jareth, naturally, was watching her be morose. He found it quite humorous she thought putting boxes in front of her door could keep _him _out, but he wasn't in a hurry to prove her wrong, considering how he was getting over his anger. He put the orb away and went back to his paper work sitting on his desk. Somewhere in the back of his mind he wondered what Sarah would think of the fearsome Goblin King doing office work.

"Your highness?" Called Audra from the doorway.

He looked to her bothered with her interruption. "The lady Sarah hasn't come out of her room for sometime now."

Jareth sat back. "Yes, I'm aware. Let her be if that is her wish."

"But, Sir, I am quite worried about her state. She is having a melt down—"

"Enough, Andrea." Jareth retorted. "I have other matters to attend to rather than the angst of a teenage girl."

The Goblin stamped her foot before replying, "AUDRA" The King gave her a glance. "As you wish." Then she left.

It was only a matter of hours before Jareth made a decision about Enyo. And, he thought it would be fun. That was the best part. Paperwork was growing more gruesome than ruling goblins.

He took a breath before appearing within Sarah's room. She looked at him from her window.

"Go away, Jareth. I don't feel like playing with you today." Her gaze fell back to the window where she was wondering of Hoggle and Ludo.

"Sarah." Jareth stopped himself from saying something stupid. "Just a walk. Come along."

"No, thank you, your highness." She smiled at him, a forged, fake type of thing that didn't even try to touch her eyes.

"It's a shame you don't have a choice." Jareth's voice was unmoving, deep, and laced with a dark challenge—the kind he usually reserved for those who would attempt to tame his labyrinth.

Some how she knew he was going to loose this fight, and didn't really care to drag it out. She stepped toward him then. She leaned into his shirt. "Fine. Take us wherever."

The rush of water pounded in her ears and her breath was gone. The feel of coolness rushed her around and into a strange place of her mind. Panic. A feeling she hadn't felt in a while, coursed across her bones. She was drowning. She tried to swim, but her legs couldn't seem to be working against the current. She opened her eyes, but only darkness greeted her. Her chest was growing heavy and she was low on energy.

Swiftly, she broke the surface. Her hair flung from her face to her back dripping while her clothes clung to her skin. She floated for a moment catching her breath before opening her eyes. She realized she had been tossed into the fountain with the statues of mermaids and fairies. When she reached the edge she pulled herself up reflecting on the deepness of the fountain.

"Feel better?" Her captor asked before her.

She smiled and leaned up to him, batting her eyelashes. Then she splashed a huge stream of water into his face.

He sighed before pushing her in the fountain again backwards. He waited till she popped up once more to speak to her. "I'm the king Sarah. I always win. Don't take it personal." He had moved further away from the fountain now, so she couldn't reach him.

"Did you just say you always win? I can recall a time when you failed big time." She stated leaving the fountain a dripping mess.

"Now, that was uncalled for. You've soured my mood." He dried his face with his magic.

"Oh, fuck you." Sarah said rolling her eyes.

Then she did something he didn't quite expect. And because he was given no fair warning, he couldn't look away. So, he watched with a heart growing faster and his breath getting ragged, as Sarah pulled her wet shirt off her body. She flung it to the ground and stood in her red bra and skirt. She eyed the skirt around her waist for a moment before deciding she would try to ring it out as best she could while it clung to her.

She finally looked up to Jareth when her skirt wasn't dripping. Yet, Jareth hadn't noticed. He was quite busy taking in the curves and patches of skin he was being shown. Ah, the bend of her back, the bulge of her breast, the indention of her stomach. All so lovely. He wanted to touch and feel _and kiss_.

Sarah cleared her throat, enjoying the attention she was receiving. "I don't have any dry clothes."

Jareth looked back up to her. "Well, I have magic Sarah. I could have fixed that without you becoming undignified."

Sarah snorted. "Jareth, you seeing me in swimsuit attire is the least of my worries."

At that, Jareth came close to her as if he were challenged. _Least of your worries?_ His hands taking her sides. "But have you not heard the term _tease_ Sarah?" He watched recognition light her eyes. "So, you have heard of it? Kings don't like to be teased." His hands found her naked back and glided to that 'bra' strap.

"What are you doing?" Sarah whispered feeling her legs almost slip out from under her. The contact, his breath on her face, his eyes burning into hers, it was all too much. Her head pulsed.

Jareth caught himself. He was giving into a side he usually saved for those special fantasies of his. But he was hers. Had always been, even when she said she didn't want him all those years ago. He was still her slave. And how he wanted to give-in and give her everything. This feeble mortal, he would give the world to.

His hands tightened on her back as sigh escaped her mouth as her eyes closed. _She's not fighting._ All he had to do was lean forward. No part of his body argued. His eyes began to also close, his lips beginning to breech the space between them. His hands bringing her closer…

But then, last second, he saw something.

It was a strange shape on Sarah's right side. "What is that?" He asked, his curiosity exceeding his personal needs. Later, he would assume this distraction was for the best.

"What?" She looked around, but then followed his eyes to her side. He forced her to turn so he could gaze at the large marking stretching from under her bra to the folds under her skirts.

"We call them tattoos." Sarah stopped her voice from shaking as he traced a finger up and down it.

"But what is it?" He moved closer realizing what it was as she said it.

"A labyrinth." She swung away from him grabbing her shirt off the ground. "Oh, and yes."

"Yes, what?" Jareth asked his mind still lingering on her darkened side.

"Yes, I do feel better." She slipped the wet fabric over her, hiding away her pale skin. Jareth was annoyed in the back of his head with how the collar didn't come low enough for his taste.

He noticed her face again. It had taken a serious tone despite her wet clothing and dripping hair. "But, you can't expect me to live like this and survive."

Jareth began walking down the path, expecting her to follow. "Exactly what manner of living are you speaking?" He turned back around to face her, seeing she hadn't moved. He waved his hand in the air and instantly she was dry. He watched with a strange feeling as Sarah's hair picked up in the wind.

"Oh please, Jareth. I realize you mean this to be torture." She angled away from the wind.

Jareth swam in his thoughts. Yes, that's what he had _meant_ it to be. In the end, he wanted to break her. He wanted to see her wreathing before him. . . at least, that's the way it had been. That's what he had told himself. But upon seeing her weakened, suicidal form, perhaps that wasn't what he wanted. And that left one question left.

What did he want?

Since he wasn't speaking, Sarah spoke again. "Sure, I can go on for maybe this week, possibly the next month, but in the end, I have nothing here. I have no friends or family—I have no one."

Jareth resisted the urge to tell her differently. _But you have me_. He let a smirk grace his face to hide what he was really thinking.

Sarah continued. "Jareth, I'll go crazy. I wasn't made to live like this. Is this what you want? A shell of what I once was."

"Join me Sarah. I must walk before I have to return to work." He held out his hand to her. Not a gesture of love or companionship. They both know this. This was Jareth threatening Sarah with his power. They both knew he was showing her not to talk so to him. Oh no, never to talk to a king like such. He was bored of her dramatics. Surely, she was overreacting and crying for attention. She was still so young, but she hadn't changed much.

So, Sarah promenaded the valley with her captor. She watched serpents with legs scurry across the paths, birds with treasure chests as bodies drop coins, and goblins spraying for fairies.

Of course seeing goblins spraying for little creatures only made Sarah think of one thing. As her eyes scanned the area,

She saw him.

At first she wasn't sure, but then she was when she noticed a large, furry creature next to him.

"Hoggle!" She screeched. She spun looking for Jareth, but he wasn't by her side. She decided to think about it later and ran to her former friends.

"Hoggle, Hoggle! It's me Sarah!" She said almost out of breath. She was concerned with how he was ignoring her.

"Sah-rah?" Ludo said in front of Hoggle. The little goblin turned to face her.

"Yeah, I know who she is." He let his eyes find her. "Don't forget Ludo, she forgot us." He spit on the ground before moving onto another bush.

"But Hoggle, you know I love you." She followed him and Ludo. "And I love Ludo too."

"Sah-rah make Ludo sad. Leave Ludo by himself." The creature slumped his shoulders.

"And don't you forget it!" Said the Goblin squirting a little fairy intensely.

Sarah grabbed Hoggle by the shoulders and made him face her. She bent down to his big eyes, and over sized head. "Hoggle, I'm so sorry."

The goblin watched her for a moment. Then he turned back to spraying. "Well, maybe I don't accept."

Ludo looked from Hoggle to Sarah. "Ludo Sad." Ludo explained again.

"Hoggle, please. Please forgive me." Sarah looked sadly into the goblin's big eyes.

Hoggle dropped his repellent. "Oh, Sarah." He gave her a gentle hug. "I missed you."

"Oh, dear. How I've missed you too."

And so the little group sat in a small circle while Sarah told them the story of her family moving, of her acting going down the drain, of her college years filled with homework. She didn't mention drugs. She didn't want to deal with their judging faces. It was enough with Jareth knowing about her addiction. When asked why she was in the Underground, she told them she had hurt her head and wasn't sure what she was saying, and ended up with Jareth.

"Be careful Sarah." Hoggle said as the sun was beginning to set. They had walked her back to the castle. "Jareth hasn't been very nice while you were gone."

"When was he ever the nicest guy?" Sarah smiled as she gave Hoggle another hug.

"No. Worse." Said Ludo.

Sarah wiped off their comments after saying goodbye and went into the castle.

The pair didn't explain to Sarah what they meant by worse which bothered her, but not enough to worry her too much. They explained she better keep in better contact and not to let Jareth push her around.

She walked up to the castle's door after giving one final wave to the pair and met Flogray.

"What do you think of trashing the kitchen?" His eyes were wide and excited.

Sarah knelt down eye level to him. "Sounds like a plan."


	8. A Mess

Flogray led Sarah down the dark halls and into the constantly changing stairs. They both would pause at corners and make sure the coast was clear before running down more halls. They giggled when they hid in the shadows as Audra passed. They shushed each other when a group of Gargoyles came swooping over them.

Then Flogray grabbed Sarah's hand and dragged her under an archway. He ushered her into a small door—that she had to crawl through—while he stood watch. "It's too dark in here. I can't see anything." Sarah whispered to him.

"Good. That means there's no one here." He closed the wooden panel behind himself. Then pulled a strange item from his pocket. Sarah watched him put the pencil-shaped thing to his lips, lick it, then blow on it. A small flame that lit up, but the whole room erupted from the tip.

"Wow." Sarah looked at the rather large kitchen. It was unlike anything she had ever seen. Pots were not shaped the same way they were shaped back home. Here they had spiral handles and there wasn't a fridge, but just a very cold part of the room surrounded in ice. The sink had about twelve different spouts all labeled something else in a language Sarah couldn't read. There weren't cabinets, but floating packages. At least in the dim light they seemed to be floating, but up close, Sarah could see that everything was hung on an individual string. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't break the string, so she concluded it must be magic—or something like that, she guessed.

She was amazed at all the floating ingredients and supplies everywhere. All were at different levels and sizes. Bowls hung near the floor, cups near the ceiling, cans were eyelevel, recipe books—she assumed that's what they were—were haphazardly hovering without a set level of string given. She looked up to attempt to find the source of the magic string, but they seemed to appear from then air right under the roof. Hmm. That was new.

"Sarah! Come on. We have to hurry." Flogray said as he moved to the center of the room. Sarah noticed a drain like thing under his feet and she was reminded of the movie 'IT'. She shuddered.

"What do you want me to do?" Sarah did a quick turn around to take in the room once more. The whole thing just mesmerized her.

Flogray was annoyed. "Sarah, start ripping down the stuff over there. I'm gonna hold the light for ya."

Sarah sighed. "I don't know how to take the stuff off the strings. They're too strong."

"You just gotta do the trick. Duh, Sarah."

"The Trick?" She eyed the objects suspiciously.

"Just punch them and say 'dinner time'." Flogray whispered very loudly. It was clear he couldn't believe he brought Sarah with him.

After a moment, Sarah did as she was told. She punched a bag of vegetables—or maybe it was a kind of fruit?—and said the magic words. "Dinner time!"

The bag dropped into her hands and then opened. "Hmm," she shrugged, "that's convenient" She tossed the bag to Flogray. He caught it easily with a smile.

"Sarah, try some of this before we throw it on the floor." He tossed her a piece then put a piece in his own mouth. She caught it easily and eyed the strange shape. It was all angles, no curves. She took a bite and was overcome with the sweetness of the device. It was a mixture of oranges, pomegranates, and something else. Possibly chocolate.

"That is good." She announced after eating the whole piece. She went back to getting objects off the strings and tossing them to Flogray who would then scatter it across the room.

This pattern continued for an hour until Sarah found a strange thing hanging in front of her. She paused, her heart racing. It was hanging eye level. She preformed the usual ritual and the object fell in her hand, the zip-block bag opening filling her nostrils with the scent of her favorite type of plant.

She didn't question the act of it being there, she just quickly stuffed it down her shirt since she had no pockets. "Flogray, I'm getting tired."

The goblin looked up to her from his pile of ripped pages from the books. "Yeah," he wiped his eyes, "me too." They scattered the last of the pages and took pride in the giant mess. Food was across the walls, the sinks were full of different types of plasmas, and the original color of the floor was nonexistent. Sarah pitied the person Jareth would force to clean up this mess, but it was so much fun to make.

Nevertheless, Sarah didn't dwell too long on feeling sorry for others, for now, her chest was burning with excitement. "Flogray can you take me back outside? I want to sleep in the garden."

The goblin shrugged. "Sure, I guess, but don't tell no one about what we did."

Sarah smiled, "Deal."

She waited until Flogray left her in the night before she smelled the bag again. Yep. She was satisfied. It was definitely grade A pot. She turned to the castle shrouded in darkness. Red stars danced and spun in the sky, but the moon was absent.

Sarah sighed and lowered her gaze to the faint path before her. "Sorry, Jareth."

It was somewhat ironic, she thought, how long ago, she tried to find her way to the castle and now? She was trying to escape it.

She took off in a dead run.

* * *

Jareth awoke just before sunrise. He wiped the sweat from his face as he recalled the most wonderful dream. He smiled as he thought it over now. Sarah was standing outside the fountain with her shirt thrown aside. That red cloth was still wrapped around her, but his time when Jareth went to remove it in the sunlight he didn't get distracted.

He had thought of her 'tattoo' for quite sometime. He thought it interesting she carried a labyrinth on her, but he couldn't help but feel as if he missed something within the design. He wanted to see the whole outline, but to do that he would have to have Sarah naked, and if he had that wish, he was certain the last thing on his mind would be her tattoo.

He smiled at that last thought.

He made his way to breakfast in his usual manner. His attire was casual—well, for him. Just a simple blue poetic shirt, his family heirloom, and some very tight leather pants. His boots were also donned as well.

His heels clicked the stone passageways as he entered the dining room. He was surprised at the hustle and bustle the goblins were causing at such an early hour. They usually saved their energy for nightly fun. He sat in his throne-like seat at the head of the table, which was decorated with designed candles and artistic placemats.

His plate was quickly set before him. An arrangement of meat grilled and steamed—just the way he liked it. He took a bite and was quickly let down by his favorite meal. Suddenly, he realized by a little Goblin forced into heading outside from the kitchen with a dustpan that the kitchen must have been torn up again.

He sighed, just as he thought, that's why they messed up his food. "Gobber!" Hissed the King. "This is missing my spices."

The tall goblin that always stood beside Jareth while he ate shivered. "Umm. Actually, it's Gofish. You can remember because my parents conceived me while playing a game of cards. You see my mother needed a two so she asked my dad—"

"I honestly am about to lose my appetite over this little story of yours." Jareth tapped his fork on the edge of his plate. "Seasoning. Now."

Gofish's eyebrow twitched in fear. Jareth didn't fall for his distraction. That wasn't good.

"Why, exactly, aren't you moving?" Jareth turned his head to the side. His food was growing cold.

Gofish stepped back. "Well, ya see sir; there was an issue in the kitchen. And a mess was made of it, ya see? And so, ya see, we had to clean it up. But it was a real mess, sir. So, we did all we can, but ya see—"

Jareth held up his hand to silence the blabbering beast. "If you say 'ya see' one more time I will let the cleaners have you." Jareth stood up. He knew the goblin was hiding something. Something vital. He grabbed the collar of Gofish's shirt and hoisted him up. "Tell me, _Gofish_, what is going on?"

The goblin winced. "It is missing."

Jareth laughed and placed the goblin on the ground. "Really? That's all? That's fine. We'll get more this afternoon." Jareth returned to his food.

"Well, no." The goblin took more steps back this time. "The captive," he lowered his voice to a whisper, "Sarah, she is missing also."


	9. A City

Sarah was in half a daze when she first awoke. She had a dreamless night, but now she wasn't sure if she was dreaming or not. She felt the sensation of movement, but the last thing she remembered was laying down as the morning sun kissed the sky. She still felt groggy, and something told her she only had an hour's worth of sleep.

She began to hear the noise of rustling, rocks against rocks, and small birds chirping. She sat up finding herself in the back of a truck shaped carriage. Someone was in the front whipping a group of large, chained up butterflies. Their wings flapped moving the wood contraption through a gravel way.

Sarah found the sun hadn't moved much since the last time she had seen it. She scanned the area around her. It looked as though she was out of labyrinth. She let a breath of relief escape her lips. She knew it was only a matter of time before Jareth would come after her, but first he would have to search the labyrinth. That would take a while. She assumed it was better to be moving than to be stationary, so she stayed with the man—or creature, she couldn't tell—steering the butterflies. She laid her head back down and went to sleep.

She opened her eyes a little bit later. The cart had stopped and it seemed darker outside. Her eyes scanned the sky, _yes_, the sun was setting. She moved slowly looking for the driver of her taxi. Her head popped over the edge of her small basket. There he was, in conversation with someone—but it wasn't a goblin. The figure was hooded, but Sarah could tell she was female. The woman was standing in an undersized archway, a door closed against her back. The building she was standing near was also small, almost as if it were trying not to be noticed.

Sarah looked around at the rest of buildings made of gray stones. It was the only color that existed in this area. Gray, black, a touch of white. She felt like she had woken up in a black and white movie.

After surveying her present whereabouts she deemed she had been driven to some underground city on the far outskirts of the labyrinth. There was bustling everywhere, goblins running this way and that. Creatures Sarah had never seen skipped with baskets and waddled with shoes too big.

Sarah tried to decide whether or not to thank her transporter, but he may demand payment, which she didn't have. Then there was the issue of the hooded woman. Sarah had learned from many movies and books to never trust someone you couldn't see. The woman might have been an exception to the rule, but Sarah wasn't in a gambling mood.

Carefully, she snuck out of her bed and dove into an alley-way. She didn't look back as she ran over garbage, dodged some passing beasts and made it to a left turn. She kept running, then turned right.

When she finally made it to a busy area, did she take a breath. She coward in a group of people—er, things—staking out a medium fat goblin selling an assortment of items. Sarah saw a nice cloak which she thought would help to shield her peasant appearance.

"What will you take for the hooded piece?" She tried to deepen her throat to seem tough; however, she was afraid she wouldn't be heard over the incessant squabbling of the other shoppers.

The Goblin looked at her with one eye, for the other was covered in an eye-patch. His hair was long and draped with beads. Gold lined the eyelashes of his one eye so it seemed to glitter. When he smiled at her his teeth were black. "Whatcha got?"

Sarah thought painfully about the bag of snuff in her possession. She reached for it grabbing the attention of those around her. She took a small handful out for herself and handed the rest of the bag to dwarf.

He gladly took it from her shoving his nose in the bag. He looked to her with an up-turned cheek. "Go ahead. Take the cloak and anything else yee want."

Sarah was surprised, but didn't argue. She took the cloak then looked at the rest of the items on his table. It was all basically junk. There was a broken watch, a plastic ring, a dirty book, a necklace, and a mask. The mask caught Sarah's eye because it reminded her of her a ball she attended long ago—a masquerade. However she didn't have a mask when she went and now, she found that quite unfair.

She reached for the black, shiny item. The sides flared out like butterfly wings against her face. Intricate sliver swirls reached from the eyes and into the wings. It was lovely. She held it to her face without really thinking.

"Itz lovely, Miss." The seller said.

She smiled politely and excused herself. The fabric fell on her shoulders warmly. She pulled the hood over her head and was happy to find a pocket large enough for the mask, but she wasn't sure what to do with her weed. She had a lighter, but no rolls or anything to smoke it out of.

She frowned. God, Jareth was such a hypocrite. He spilled her stash, called her weak, and him or his subjects did the same thing she did.

She began stalking angrily around the city. She had no set destination so she found an another alley. She would find a way to get high, then start asking questions about a way to get back home, to the Aboveground.

She settled near a trashcan-like apparatus. She did feel quite dismal searching through the waste, but her hopes were hyped up when she found a container. She designed it in her perfect fashion then put her lighter to green.

She sat there for a few seconds feeling guilty. And there it was burning away. She let it burn until there was only one huff left. It was enough to say good bye.

So, she breathed in. It was wonderful. It was fantastic. It was so peaceful. Then, she lost consciousness.

When next she opened her eyes, it hurt. Her stomach had decided it was moving, didn't like it in her body apparently. New residence? Out her mouth. Her chest was doing things with her lungs she didn't think should allowed by the Geneva Convention. Then there was her head. After expelling what seemed to be crawling bugs from her intestines, Sarah folded her body around her head. She wanted to pull her hair out to stop the fire that was burning, but electric stung her fingertips making her palms blue. She could feel her eyes getting hot, and then her vision was clouded red. She tried to wipe her tears away, but blood was smeared on her fingers. She screamed at the scene. The pain was too much and her head to heavy.

Her eyes were going in out and out like a camera. Her ears pulsed making sounds echo-ish and far away. Her breath was slow and forced. Wetness still fell from the corners of her eyes, but she refused to wipe it. She rejected the idea of her eyes bleeding.

By now she was laying on he ground unable to move. She must have looked dead. Her eyes were unblinking, unmoving. Her body was still, her breathing almost none. She was paralyzed within the pain.

From somewhere in the back of her mind she saw the boots slowly approach her. They were heavy in the rain which had begun to fall. The boots splashed in a puddle that had begun to engulf Sarah's hair. She was sure whoever stood before her said something, but the rain and her pounding head made sure she didn't understand.

The figure picked her up and slung her over a shoulder, but Sarah didn't feel it. She was out before she landed.

She sat up fast, ignoring the instant sting all over. Jareth sat across the room watching her in one of those overstuffed chairs. Ah, she was back in the guest room.

She moved to the edge of the bed wordlessly, tossing the white curtain from her face. She moved a hand to her head.

"I'm quite bored with saving your life, Sarah." Jareth tightened the glove on his hand.

"Well, I don't believe anybody asked you to." She noticed her new article of clothing had been removed. She stepped off the bed, but fell to her knees. "Dammit" She hated looking so weak in front of her enemy.

The thought struck her despite her situation. She looked at the man—well, she wasn't sure if that was all right, but that bulge in his pants had given her reason to think he had male parts—now towering before her. Was he her enemy? Even now after all this time. He did keep saving her life, what did he think of her?

"I very much want to kick you right now." His eyes were malicious, dark.

She griped her side as a new soreness spread through her and fell on all fours. "Go ahead." She challenged. Her voice was rough. "Give it your all."

They were both silent. Sarah tried to hide the pain from her face while she gaped into Jareth's eyes. She could see what looked to be an inner struggle within him.

Soon, he was grabbing her arm and hoisting her onto the bed. "Just. Stay." His teeth were clenched.

"What was it?" She let go of her emotions for a minute to satisfy a little cat with curiosity.

Jareth watched her for a very long second. "A type of spice. Very expensive. It will smell and taste like whatever you expect of it." He paused to let those words sink in. "And it can kill humans. Lucky for you, you only took a small dose."

"Lucky." She echoed without emotion.

Jareth stared at her. "I was going to let you go." He spat. "I was going to let you find your way back home if you wanted it so bad, if you thought this place was so terrible." He forced a laugh. "I had set you free. Then, you almost kill yourself."

They watched each other, invisible static flying through the room until Jareth finally spoke. "Maybe next time." Though he didn't like the idea of next time. He made his way to the door out of habit. He could just simply vanish out of the room, but he wasn't thinking clearly.

"Why Jareth?" Sarah was angry and frustrated. "Why do you care so much. Why didn't you just let me die?"

His hand laid on the door handle. His eyes resting on his hand. He didn't know the answer to her question—at least he didn't understand the answer. "Tell me, Sarah, why do you want to lower yourself to the biddings of such a device?" He flicked his eyes towards her.

"To Escape." Her fingers were shaking. "How can you expect me to live in this world, in your torturous mind games? I had to escape it."

Jareth gave her a disgusted glance. "Oh, Sarah. We both know what a terrible excuse you just wove."

"Excuse?" She sputtered. "You don't think I've been going crazy missing my family and my friends, living in that cell of yours, watching those ruthless children, eating what I'm sure is poison, and putting up with _your_ arrogant attitude." When she finished she took a deep breath and swallowed. She could feel a tug from somewhere, all over.

He gave a feeble laugh. "To Escape? Does it help you escape home, hmm? Then tell me, _Precious Thing_, what were you escaping from Aboveground? Where did you escape to?"

_Here_. She thought, but didn't say. She would never tell him she had longed to return to the labyrinth, felt a longing deep within her soul. No, Jareth could never know that. He wouldn't allow her to go home, or worse, he would gloat about the whole thing. And no matter what state of mind she was in, Sarah didn't think she could ever get used to the idea of Jareth being right.

"Why do you care?" She asked again glaring into those cold, different eyes. "It is of no consequence to you."

Jareth watched her body slowly weave left and right. Any minute she was going. Sarah waited in anticipation. Her hands clenched the sheets. She could feel darkness pulling her again.

"Jareth."

As she lost grip on reality he corrected her. "It's _your highness_."


	10. A Bath

Sarah hadn't seen Jareth in days. She was fine with that. Audra had informed her that her new residence was to be the guest room. Sarah tried to argue, but Audra denied her the right. Sarah's clothes had an upgrade also. Audra had made her pants resembling jeans from the Aboveground. Also, tank-tops now existed.

Except, Sarah didn't really care about that.

She tried to speak with Flogray, but he yelled at her for leaving him to deal with everyone being angry about the kitchen. She tried to apologize, but the goblin stuck out his tongue and ran into the ever changing stair area. That place was so annoying. Sarah still couldn't figure it out. She knew there was some secret to it. It was probably obvious too. Egh, she felt stupid. She didn't even remember how she solved the massive room when searching for Toby.

Presently, Sarah was trying to feed a baby goblin some of the slop she, herself, refused to eat. She felt bad when the child cried as it swallowed the concoction; Audra had told her it had all the nutrients goblins needed to survive.

Sarah's next question was why they thought a human would eat it. Audra rolled her eyes.

"Sarah." Hoggle appeared in the doorway. "How are you?"

She turned to him. "Oh, Hoggle, I've missed you these last few days."

After getting the children to play among themselves nicely, Sarah settled into a chair next to Hoggle. Her first question, before he could interject her with his, was of Sir Didymus. This launched Hoggle into a more spirited conversation than the one Sarah feared would loom over them like a dead lover.

"He's still guarding that terrible smelling bog." Hoggle sighed. "Ludo and me tried to get him to come visit with you, but he said: 'Tell her, I am performing my duty to the land and that I have missed her lovely lady.' He is crazy. I don't want to ever go back there." He shook his head left and right to add emphasis. "I'm just sending Ludo in next time."

Sarah laughed as he told her about all his follies of the last few years. Then he told her he was liking a goblin lady, but he wouldn't mention who. Sarah tried to offer him some jewelry, but he retorted he wasn't falling for that again.

While Sarah was visiting with her friend, Jareth was visiting with his—herm, friend wasn't the correct word for _her_. She stepped into his lavish library swiftly, quietly, but that's an assassin for you. She removed the hood from her purple eyes releasing her burgundy, curly hair. It fell long and heavily to her elbows. She stretched her neck as she removed her leather gloves—an old habit she had picked up from Jareth.

"Good day, Enyo." He smiled only half interested in her appearance. She sat across from him, a small round table separating them.

She gazed at him, a diminutive smile gracing her cheek bones. "Only when you're in it."

They both shared a small, fake laugh. "How are you planning on taking over my kingdom?" He waved his hand as a cup of tea appeared before him. "Tea?"

"No, thank you." She smiled again, smaller this time. "I was hoping we could bargain, I mean, considering our history. I wouldn't want all those memories to be laced with animosity."

Yes, Jareth recalled their history. It was a lovely thing they both equally enjoyed on the occasional midnight. She was a woman Jareth shared a strong physical attraction for, as she for him.

"Nay, we wouldn't want that, would we?" He took a drink of tea. "This bargain?"

"I'm not going to marry you. I'm too independent for that, sorry dear, I know you had your heart set upon it." She leaned back, releasing the tension in her shoulders.

"A shame, really. If one were to care and think about it." He answered.

"Ah, quite. I have brought something for you though." She waved her hand in the same fashion as Jareth and a small vile appeared in her delicate, deadly fingers. She placed the green vile on the table in front of them. They both avoided touching each other when they weren't being physical.

He picked up the object holding it to the light. Small glitters caught the sun which spilled in from a nearby window. "And this is…?"

"My bargain. I give this to you and, if you are pleased with the results, you give me your goblin army. Even Thee Elite, the best of us know you're saving for that special occasion." Her eyes raped the spines of the books on the shelves. She wasn't amused with his literature—kid stuff.

"Alright, but what am I supposed to do with this? I'm not committing suicide just because you won't marry me." He sniffed the liquid.

She smiled. "That, my dear, is a love potion." Her eyes narrowed.

Jareth wasn't contented. "And why do I need a love potion? I can have any woman I desire, Enyo." He smirked. "Even you."

"But what of your human, dearest?" Her smile grew large. "And don't pretend. There are rumors all across the Underground of your little pet."

"Perhaps." He answered. "But what does this little mixture have to do with _it_?"

"How many times has she run away, or at least attempted to run away? I almost had her, you know. I was going hold your kingdom ransom, but she even eluded me." She licked her lips. "She is smart for a human."

"I don't need this." Jareth tossed it back to her.

She caught it with a quick hand. "Then why do you keep her against her will." She placed it on the table again. "Just try it. Like I said, if you like it _then_ you will give me your armies. Keep your labyrinth for all I care. It is rather boring lately."

Jareth left it sitting. "And if I don't like it?"

"Well, that's up to you. But either way _I will be taking your armies_." Enyo stood now, as did Jareth.

He moved in front of her tracing a gloved hand down her neck and to an area he held much favor for.

"You are coming to my ball later this week? Your nephew is throwing it for me. He thinks he can get into my good graces and I won't destroy him." She leaned into his hand, running hers on his own chest.

Jareth was speculating the ball. "We shall see."

Then he kissed her.

* * *

Since Sarah had returned to the castle, her hours with the children had been reduced so her evenings could be free. Hoggle had left earlier and now she was alone and bored.

Audra met her at the door as she was leaving the daycare. "Is there anyway I can get clean? I really can't remember the last time I had a bath or a shower." Sarah sighed. She was feeling quite disgusted with herself.

Audra cocked her head. "Why in the Underground would you want to wash the lovely dirt off you. I don't understand you pale-skins. You all _want to be clean_. Just like Jareth."

Sarah ran a hand through her greasy hair. Even though she hadn't seen the Goblin King in a while, she didn't want to look like a hobo when she saw him. "Please?" She was desperate, even if she was reduced to using the mermaid fountain and a bar of soap.

Audra released breath and rolled her eyes. "Follow me."

They arrived in a small room. Sarah noticed there were two doors. The one they had entered through and one across the room. Then, she noticed the bathtub. It was the largest she had ever seen and it sat in the ground so she had to step in it, not hop into it. There were smooth, flat rocks in the bottom and steam rose of the water with a strange scent. It smelled like Jareth.

"Here are a few things. Jareth requests them when he washes himself." She placed them at the edge of the water. "Don't be too long." Then she stepped out.

Sarah could hardly contain her excitement as she stripped and stepped into the bubbling water. She completely submerged herself feeling the sensation of human touch all around her. Heaven.

She found something like that of soap in the items Audra had left behind and I felt wonderful. She wasn't sure of the smell, she liked it, but she couldn't place it. After washing. She relaxed.

It was a most refreshing feeling that caused Sarah to fall inside of herself. There, she thought about that wretched man. Of course he was only wretched because he was making her miss him, which she did not enjoy, no, not in the least. Actually, she was quite annoyed with herself when she realized she did, in fact, miss him, but why? Agh! That was what annoyed and frustrated her the most. She didn't know why she missed him. All they did was argue and destroy each other.

And she loved it.

She fell into a calm, thinking about what her next encounter with Jareth would be like. It was bound to happen, even in a large castle like this. Especially since she was _his slave_ and all. What would she say? _Thanks for saving me, Mr. King._ She laughed. Yeah, that would work. She could already see that perturbed face of his holding back a lecture. That she could do without. There was no way in Hell she would listen to a lecture from Jareth. For one, how would she take him seriously. He stole babies and turned them into goblins. That hardly seems like someone that could consul her on the way she lives her life.

She turned around in the tub to lean the front of her body on the rim. She relaxed again placing her head in her hands as her elbows rested on the edge. She was beginning to close her eyes when she saw the door in front of her—not the one she entered—open towards her.

She tried to grab the towel, but it slipped from her fingers and fell in the water. She cursed as Jareth appeared before her.

This, Jareth was not expecting. He had gone more than out of his way to avoid her, and now, here she was, in his bathing room, naked. He may have been all over her, if his animal side hadn't just been satisfied by a powerful woman who favored the color purple way too much.

"Would you turn around!" Sarah screeched as she brought the wet towel around her.

Jareth smiled. "I thought being undignified was the least of your worries." He didn't turn around, and that towel didn't cover much. Hmm. Maybe that last session with Enyo wasn't enough.

"Jareth." Her jaw was clenched. "If you do not take your eyes away from me, I will introduce you to a world of pain—and your powers won't save you."

Although Jareth knew she was buffing, he threw his hands in the air as surrender and turned around. He waited until he heard the splashing of the water as it released Sarah from its grasp. Then he turned around.

Her eyes weren't on him, so she didn't see the way he looked at her. The towel only clung to the front of her, revealing the side with the tattoo and her back to him. He tried to focus on the tattoo…but he wanted to see the curve of her derrière or the stretch of her leg muscles. No, must concentrate. The tattoo was longer than he originally thought. It stretched from almost directly under her arm all the way to her hip. The maze was long with strange twists throughout it. He felt like he was missing something as he looked at it, but her arm was in the way and she was moving too much.

Then there was something flying at him. His mind was in such a haze, his reflexes weren't up to par with the flying—Ouch! "Where the hell did you get a ceramic mug?"

Sarah was fully dressed by the time he was back to a world of clarity. Being fae and all, pain didn't last long, but she had launched the particular item directly at his head. He wasn't pleased.

"One of the children gave it to me as a gift." She smiled as she dried her hair. "I didn't realize it would become so useful. I'll have to give the kid some candy." She gave him an innocent look. "I warned you."

Jareth wasn't sure what to do. Punish her? She would surely run away, and he couldn't deal with that again. Yet, he was angry and his pride wouldn't let behavior like this towards him go unpunished. He moved in close to corner her. "You know, precious, I could snap you in an instant. I could crush your bones under a toe." He leaned in closer. His mismatched eyes leered into hers predator style. "I could even _make _you fall in love with me. What would you do then?"

Sarah laughed. "I hope you have something better than weed to achieve that mess." Her chin lifted to him. She was being a bitch. This thought occurred to her after the words had slipped away. Great, she was treating the person who had saved her—twice—as if he were the biggest hindrance in her life. Well, that wasn't exactly off. The fact that he was now in her head constantly wasn't a good sign for the children.

Jareth was suddenly annoyed with himself. "Get out, Sarah. I'm fatigued, and your little act of violence has killed my patience with you." He crossed the room to the door he entered through and closed it behind himself.

She stared at the door. Her breath came in huffs of anger. Him? Fatigued with her? _What? _She fought the urge to cross the room and chase after him. She wanted an explanation. However, she knew that was a bad idea. Jareth would just go off on her, and she did not want to be around Jareth when he was groaned as she walked out the door, not at Jareth, though she was upset with him.

She groaned because she was all ready missing him.


	11. A Notion

I do not own Labyrinth

* * *

"Well, that's great." Sarah said aloud to her empty room. She eyed the terrible written note sitting next to a bowl of Underground fruit.

**Sarah, **

**The king has graced this wing of the castle with the day off. You are free to do as you wish. Please, don't get lost in the castle. **

**Audra.**

Sarah was sure she would spend the entire day searching for a way to get somewhere and not find where ever it is she wanted to go until she was ready to go back to sleep. Oh, and last nights events didn't help either.

Despite the fact that she was sure Jareth deserved the punishing she delivered, she still felt quite bad for throwing the mug a him. At one point during the night she even convinced herself the cup had slipped and the rest was gravity's fault. She couldn't circle round to that reasoning now. Then, she felt the reason Jareth was acting all angst-y was because she had bruised his outer ego, at this she felt good. But in the end, she still had this dark feeling in the pit of her stomach.

At least if she had been working in the day care she could keep her mind off that emotion consuming her guts. Now, what was she supposed to do?

She dressed into a t-shirt and another pair of pants like yesterday's. She downed the fruit and thought about trying to find Flogray—damaging something seemed like it would reduce the stress pushing down on her shoulders. It was a heavy type of thing.

So, with nothing to do in that too-damn-pretty room of hers, Sarah left. Of course she had no destination—maybe find Hoggle or Ludo? When she arrived at the stairs she just started walking. The idea of bumping into Jareth flashed through her mind as she walked lost up and down the crazy room.

He was too curious about that tattoo of hers. When she caught him staring at it, she was afraid he would notice the little message hidden within the lines of _her labyrinth_. No, no, no. If Jareth found out, that would be quite bad. Sarah cringed just at the idea of him holding that over her head—not a very promising day that would be.

How long had she been wandering? She had no sense of time in that stair-room, but then she finally saw an exit. She sighed with relief just hoping she hadn't stumbled back to her room, or worse—the cell. She shuddered.

She stepped into the darkened, stoned doorway feeling quite silly. Oh, those stairs. They had such a mind of their own, and her legs hated them.

"Jareth?"

He looked up from his book in surprise, but not as surprised as her. She turned back to the stairs, but they had already started changing—yes, she was certain now, she hated them.

And here Jareth was, lounging on a sofa-type thing with the sunlight kissing his side. Sarah's eyes darted around the golden room with no walls and its shimmering arches right out of Beauty and the Beast. The ceiling was high with arts worthy of the Sistine chapel delicately strewn like ribbon all around her to the reflective floor. Statues were climbing out of the walls begging for attention with fearful eyes. It was shimmering beauty all accentuated by the golden orb in the sky. It was a sunroom pushed to limit and then put on acid.

She found Jareth again—now sitting up—eyeing her with trivial amusement. He laid his book upon a round table in front of his couch while the wind outside decided to ruffle his already wild hair.

"And who are you showing off for?" Sarah asked walking towards him. She tried to get a look at the title of the book, but she couldn't read the language. _Dang!_

Jareth smirked while giving her a condescending look. "Is that your way of telling me you love it?" He placed his cheek in his hand.

"Oh, as if. It all has to do with how marvelous you are, at any rate, that's what you assume." She placed her hands on her hips in an annoyed fashion.

"Sarah why must you always be so hostile?" His voice was velvet, soft and crooning. "You couldn't simply say, 'what an exquisite room.' No, you attacked me first in assuming I was _showing off_."

"Well, you are definitely not humble." She strolled past him stepping off tile and onto fresh, moist grass. She was taken aback by the amount of flowers blooming everywhere and petals flew across the horizon in colors Sarah had never imagined. Vines grasped the edge of hedges and silver poles protruding from the ground. Spinning and dancing flowers tapped into something within Sarah. It was like a backyard—on steroids.

He stepped behind her. "Hmm, I think I may have to agree." The petals remained suspended—constantly moving like butterflies with no course.

"Jareth, I'm about to do something and I don't want you to ever speak of what I'm about to do." Her eyes were serious, her stance guarded.

Jareth's leered over Sarah. "That depends on what you're offering."

Sarah laughed. "I'm not offering anything. Just don't say anything about what I am about to do." She shot him an innocent grin…

…and then she was bounding off into the masses of dancing flowers. Singing? Was that what they were doing? She giggled childishly to herself feeling the flowers wrap around her fingers and trace her face with the utmost care. With a collective sigh, the flowers left her leaving a glittering trail of wonderful scents all around her. She kept running into the tangible spring gaping at the surreal magic before her. She lapped up the feeling of floating within this scene of animated paintings. Then she stood still, hugging herself with a contented expression—this strange feeling, it was serene.

She returned to Jareth, not looking him in the eyes. God, she must have looked absolutely silly.

"Oh, please continue. That little scene was most enjoyable." He chuckled and took Sarah's hand.

Her eyes flashed to him as sparks danced in her fingertips. _Does he feel this?_ He gently led her to the sofa, facing her away from the sun. After releasing her hand, he sat on the other end, a cushion separating them.

"Let's put aside our pride for a moment, Sarah." His head turned gently taking in the sunlight.

"_Our _pride? Why, _Jareth_," She emphasized the use of his name. "Whatever do you mean?"

He gave her a warning look. His arched brows twitched in provocation. "I mean shut that overly untrusting, stubborn mouth of yours." He challenged, "If you can."

Her eyes narrowed and her lips parted as if she were going tell him off, but she decided that would just be proving him right, right? So she snapped her mouth closed again and rolled her eyes.

"Good girl." Jareth gave a toothy grin. "See, now we can just _discuss_ without the pressure or expectations of the other."

Sarah sighed, her eyes wondering back out to the area of corporeal magic. "What is this place?" She did as Jareth asked, dropping her pride and showing just how amazed she was with the enchantment behind them.

Jareth abstained from giving a smug smile. "This is my garden. It helps me relax." And that was the truth. After a day of taunting an individual and stealing children, his garden was the perfect place to loose himself.

"I see." A phrase Sarah jumped to when she wasn't sure what else to say. She looked away from the garden and felt the awkward silence slipping in from everywhere. Whattosay? Whattosay? _Whattosay?_

Her mouth spoke before her brain could catch up. "What are you?" Suddenly, she felt rude, like maybe that wasn't something you asked people—Was he people?—in the Underground. Then all kinds of questions were forming in her head. What are manners like in the Underground? What was that strange right angle fruit she had eaten days ago? Why was Jareth Goblin king? Who made him so? Were there other Goblin Kings? Why babies? Why _her_?

Jareth stifled a chuckle. "I am a fae."

Now, Sarah's questions dissolved. "What the hell is a fae?" Needless to say, she felt stupid. Should she know what a fae is? An animal?

Jareth sighed, he wasn't aware when he awoke this morning to do research on his labyrinth he would also be giving a history lesson on his kind. "Fae are the offspring of angels and humans. We are not angles, but we possess magic and immortality like them, but with the features of humans."

Sarah made a face between awe and possibly disgust. "Angels exist?"

"Angels, God, magic…it all exists, Sarah. Only some get the chance to see it first hand." Jareth was amazed when Sarah narrowed her eyebrows and watched him for a moment, but he was even more amazed when after that moment, she bowed her head and closed her eyes. "What are you doing?"

Sarah didn't move when she answered. "If God is real, then I seriously need him to forgive me for my sins."

Jareth's laugh bellowed within the room. When Sarah's eyes opened he actually slapped his knee while his laugh continued. "And just what is so funny?" Sarah, wasn't pleased.

"Oh, nothing, Sarah. Please continue your prayers." He smiled and waved a hand at her in order to allow her to continue, but she just stared at him.

"No, thank you. I'm quite finished." She gave him a warning glance. "Have you met any angels."

"A few." He leaned back into the sofa. What an interesting choice of topic. "Have you?"

"Well, since you're part angel and all…" She tried not to make it sound like she was flabbergasted that he was part angel.

"Oh, dear. I'm afraid you misunderstood me." He put a hand to his temple. It had been so long since he had attempted to explain history. "Long, long, ago, Angels came from Heaven—against the rule of God—and mated with humans. The humans realized their children were different and so the angels took them and made a home for them, here, in the Underground."

Sarah felt like she was being tricked. "If this is true, then why is it never mentioned in the Bible?"

Jareth was put off by her lack of belief in him. "The same reason you have never heard of fae until now." He let that soak in a minute before he continued "So, the fae grew up together and eventually became their own race, changing and adapting for years and years, and here we sit, thousands of years later."

Sarah was thoughtful, "So, one of your parents isn't an angel?"

Jareth shifted. "Let's not talk about me, Sarah, or the fae anymore. There are other matters I'd like to converse over."

Now, Sarah was interested, but she couldn't just burry all those questions rising within her. "Why was it against God's rule for the Angels to mix with humans?"

Jareth should have known his obstinate Sarah would catch a small detail like that. "Because God had already done so—Eve I think her name was—and had produced several children, and they were much too powerful for his taste."

Sarah didn't believe him and let it show, but she thought she would humor him. "So, what did he do with these children?"

_He made them rulers of respective parts of the world_. "Why do you do these drugs, Sarah?"

Sarah fell silent. She was angry he had completely avoided her innocent question and was now on the spot. "I don't think we're of friendly nature to discuss this at the moment."

"But I do, think so, Sarah." He moved closer his voice was seductive. "Tell me Sarah, tell me."

She gave a nervous laugh, "Perhaps some other time. I don't want to be depressing when we are actually just talking. Let's not ruin it."

"Then some other time, but you will tell me what became of that little girl." He ran a gloved finger down her cheek, their eyes burning into each others.

"Do you ever wonder…" She caught her breath as his finger left, "About what would have happened if I had said 'yes'?"

She wondered if he knew what she was talking about. That had been years ago when he basically offered himself to her. Now she was wondering what made her even ask he question. Where had it even come from. Everything was fine. They were talking about angels and his parents—he didn't mention his parents. Jareth was so confusing.

_Why does he do this stuff to me?! _Her inner thoughts swirled around him. _Ugh._ It was a terrible disease.

"There is no wondering, Sarah." He smirked. "I would have been _your slave._"

Sarah let her eyes drift to the upper left, a mischievous grin taking the place of a frown. "That's interesting." Her finger tapped her chin lightly as a Jareth wearing a clown suit entered her mind.

"What? What is interesting?" Jareth almost growled perturbed by her obvious amusement.

Sarah let her gaze find him again, her face unchanging. "Just the idea that…" She leaned forward placing a finger on his nose. "_You_ could be the one kissing my boots."

"Sarah, we decided to put our pride away." He gently took her finger in his hand placing it in her lap. "But since you have decided to bring it up. You are my slave. _My slave_. And you will do as I command you, there will be no kissing of your boots."

Sarah swallowed the panic tearing her lungs to pieces within her.

"But I do have a proposition for you." He let his agitation slip away.

"Why don't you just command me, Jareth?" Sarah's tone was spiteful, her eyes dotted with a dare.

"Do this Sarah, and I will set you free. I'll even escort you to the Aboveground." He tilted his head to the side, the sun brightening his eyes.

"How can I trust you?" Her voice was almost a whisper.

Jareth let the silence sneak in. "Let me put it this way, do you really have a choice?"

"No, I suppose not, but why are you allowing the girl that defeat you get away? Hmm? That's not like you Jareth, even I know that." A bit of arrogance was making home within her words.

He rolled his eyes and then brought his fingers the bridge of his nose. "Because if you do this, you'll be saving more than one life, Sarah. You'll be saving my kingdom. Then, your debt is paid."

"You need me that bad?" She was serious again loosing that superior edge in her voice.

Jareth didn't miss a beat. "To complete my plan, yes, I need you. Your part is crucial."

Sarah let a small smirk decorate her cheeks to go along with her singsong way of talking. "And, what is my part, your highness?"

He watched her, his eyes full of inquisitiveness. "Tell, me, Sarah, are you still an actress."

She shrugged. "I have taken a few classes."

"Good. I am going to a ball in a few days, and I need you to accompany me." He squeezed the bottle of love potion in his pocket.

"Alright, I'll buy, but what acting am I going to need to do?" She leaned forward and fanned herself. The sun was growing hot.

Jareth have a toothy grin with an almost predator like stance. "You have to be completely in love with me."

She outright laughed in his face. "Really, Jareth, no one is going to believe I've fallen in love with you. No one is going to believe _anyone_ has fallen in love with you."

"Sarah."

With the way he said her name, just in the way it rolled of his tongue, it reminded her of all those years ago. All that time ago, when he begged her to accept his offering. "Fine, I'll do it. As much as I think this is just to humiliate me and not save your kingdom, I'll do it. But, _you better _return me to the Aboveground."

"Of course, I'll return you, Sarah."

She smiled, a secret rush inside her. "Well, I'm off to find Hoggle and Ludo." Then she leaned in and kissed Jareth. It was quick, shocking, and Jareth wanted more, but she was gone before he could pull her into him, gone before he knew what she was doing.

She laughed as she walked off, but she didn't look back as she called, "Farewell, my love."

* * *

**An:** Well, heres an update. I hope you enjoyed it. I'm sure you've noticed they have become further and further apart. Ah, yes. School is starting and I have to pack in my free time now. Sorry dears. I do thank all of you for your reviews and I do hope this doesn't become forgotten while I do home work and study...or it at least becomes finished before then. haha. Good one. Well, you know, reviews always make me want to write more...so...maybe I'll fail if you review. Ah, who cares. Reveiws keep me sane.

R&R


	12. A Ball

Sarah checked herself once more in the mirror. Was that her? The reflection followed her movements, but it still didn't feel real enough. The silver nails on her fingers, the blue blush on her cheeks, the marvelous black dress hugging her waist very tightly. Well, maybe marvelous wasn't the word to describe the unique lacy extravagance. The device hung off her shoulders with a ribbon sleeve on her right arm which wrapped all the way down to her wrist. The corset part was a dark silver, shimmering against the black, that reached out with elegant, long spikes to the floor. The bottom was different layers of black lace folded on top of one another to form a full skirt. Black strings were tied here and there to hold everything together—it seemed. Sarah loved it.

Her hair was full and curled with black ribbons dripping down from a single small bun on the top, back of her head. Her eyes were decorated in silver glitter starting heavy on her eyelids and slowly loosing intensity further across her face. Her eyelashes were thick, long, and curving higher than she though possible. Her lips were painted with a dull purple—Audra said if it was metallic, that would be too much sparkle. Her ears held heavy dull, diamonds dangling almost to her bare shoulders.

She held a mask in her hand, a black one with sliver streaks around the eyes, but she felt like she didn't need it. She was already someone else.

"Sarah, yer've ogled yourself long enough! You can't keep his highness waiting!" Audra was heard distantly in Sarah's mind, her eyes still wide in the mirror.

"Yes." she said slowly, "Yes, we mustn't keep his highness waiting."

Audra led Sarah to the stairs, which Sarah eyed nervously. "I don't know how I'm to walk about stairs in—" She gestured to the dress. "—this."

"Oh, lady Sarah, don't be a baby." Audra pushed Sarah down the stairs.

Sarah tried to fight off the uneasiness building within her. It was both dread and excitement. Fear and anticipation. _Love and hate_. She hadn't seen Jareth since that nice little talk they had, which had been days ago. Obviously, all she could think about was that impulsive kiss she had given him. She hadn't even thought about it. It just happened, like she always did it when she left him. She didn't even think about it until much later, that night, in her room. She was reliving the day, as she always did before she went to sleep—it used to be before she got high—and then, BAM! She flew from her pillows, hair flying rampant, heart pounding wildly. _Did I seriously kiss him?_ An hour later, she had convinced herself, that it was nothing, just her acting like she was in love with him. She was just proving a point. Yeah, that was it. Just showing Mr. Put-Away-Your-Pride she wasn't all sobs and "Give back what you've stolen!"

_Yeah,_ she told herself, _he didn't think anything of it either_. Which, didn't make her feel as better as she thought it should.

Luckily, they didn't have to walk far when Audra pulled Sarah out of the stair room.

She saw him first, just the back of him. His ensemble had a black ribbon sleeve as well, but he made it look masculine the way it wrapped around his muscle and down around his gloved fingers. She couldn't see his other arm, he must have been playing with something in his pocket. His back was adorned with a cape of strings—little, white feathers tied here and there. His hair was a mess, as usual, but as he turned, it seemed nearly planned the way it moved in charm across his face.

She took a breath at the rest of his appearance. His other arm—the one without the ribbon—was draped in a long tight sleeve, but Sarah didn't really see his arms. She was too focused on the jacket, profound as it was. It was silver, like her eyes, with lines of churning black reaching for his face from the bottom. The shoulders were broad and delicately spiked in the same fashion as the bottom of Sarah's corset. His collar was faintly opened revealing a bit of his neck and amulet, which clashed with the sliver. His pants were a shimmering black, tight as usual, with black boots coming up over his knee. His boots, though black, were laced with dark sliver ribbon starting at the bottom of his shoe and twining around his legs while coming up over the boots and to his pants' belt loops.

"You look lovely, Sarah." Jareth's voice was calm and roused. He held out his hand to her. "Auddie, you may leave us."

Audra watched Jareth, waiting for him to correct himself on her name. But then she saw something in her Goblin king as Sarah accepted his hand. She saw something dance in those dark, dangerous eyes of his when Sarah smiled. She saw something in the way he smiled back when Sarah's fingers tightened on his. She saw _something_. And that something made Audra leave the room quietly without anger and without correcting her king.

"You clean up well, Jareth, but you've always known that." Sarah tried to swallow her compliment back up.

Jareth didn't twitch. "Regardless, thank you for noticing." Her features softened. "I have something for you, to complete your outfit."

"Oh, wait." Sarah injected, "I was wondering about this mask." She held it up to him. "Should I wear it? I really don't know if all your balls are masquerades or what. But I mean this outfit and the makeup is so extravagant in itself that I wasn't sure exactly what we were the standards for your balls. I mean—"

Jareth placed a finger on her lips. Did she realize she was rambling? "No, the mask isn't necessary, for tonight." He took it from her eyeing it suspiciously. "Although, it is lovely also."

_Oh, so he's just handing out that word tonight. That's nice to know. _She moved his finger. "Well, I suppose I should have asked before you dismissed—" She added emphasis to the name. "—Aud-ra"

"No need." Jareth returned his gaze to her. He tossed the mask in the air as Sarah jerked forward trying to stop him. She tripped on the front of her dress still watching the mask fly up in the air. That was about when she noticed she was falling forward. She held out her hands, but then the mask was gone, it never fell. Ah, but gravity had another plan for Sarah….

…and the Goblin King.

They both landed with a thud, Sarah _on top _of his highness. She hit him in the chest with her fist. "Why the hell did you do that? You even said it was," she sneered the word, "_lovely_."

"Sarah, I just transported it back to your room. Notice it hasn't landed?" He sounded quite impatient. "Now, if you would be so kind as to remove yourself from my—"

"I can't." She pushed her weight into his shoulders.

"Come again?" Jareth's hands found her waist without his consent. "What is that you say?"

"The dress is too heavy, I can't get up in this position." She sighed trying once again.

Jareth gave her a smug grin.

Sarah gave another sigh glaring him in the eyes. "What, Jareth. Just say it. What?"

"Sarah, I daresay I've swept you off your feet." His hands grew tighter on that tiny abdomen.

Sarah rolled her eyes as she made a gagging noise. "God, you!" She couldn't think of good enough words. "Ugh!" She slammed her fist on him once more in defeat at this round of repartee.

Within a quick motion, and an EEP! from Sarah. Jareth had rolled them over so he was hovering over her. _That dress is heavy_. Then, in another quick motion, they were both again standing—and neither one had messed up hair. Sarah checked.

"Turn around." Jareth told Sarah. She didn't. "Will you please just turn around; I'm not going to slit your throat."

"Well, that wasn't what I was thinking about, but now…" Sarah saw the image of herself in all that glorious outfit, then her throat adorning a new crimson necklace dripping all over and to the floor. The red conflicted with the black and silver. _Can you say fashion faux pas? _

Jareth, being the kind and doting individual he has always been, aided Sarah in turning around, by forcing her. Then he slipped a cold necklace around her neck, clasping it just above her back.

"What is it?" Sarah tried to look at it, but it was too far under her chin.

Jareth made one of those annoying crystal balls show up. He held it out to Sarah who took it with a face that lacked amusement. She held it to her neck, looking at the her oddly shaped head and then to the ornament's reflection. It was a silver shape, similar to an arrow, with a black dot in the middle. There were also smaller details Sarah couldn't make out, but she still knew what it was.

"But this is…" She handed the crystal ball back to Jareth who spun it on his finger.

He grinned as the ball spun faster and faster until it vanished. "Yes, it is known as my insignia. This way, everyone will know you belong to me."

She shot Jareth a glance that consisted of the most annoyed look she has ever given someone. She threw her arms in the air then brought a hand to her face to show once again, just how annoyed she was. Then she muttered something under her breath.

"Is there something you would like to tell me, Sarah?" Asked Jareth realizing they needed to get going if they were to arrive on time—and he prided himself in being on time.

She stalked up to him, this time careful of the dress. "Despite the fact that _you_ have angel blood somewhere in that body of yours, you still feel the need to be just like every other guy!"

Now, this caught Jareth's attention. Jareth was _not just another guy_. "Please, do explain."

Sarah smiled. "That means, if we were still cave men and women, you would feel the need to pull that dick out of your pants and tell the world your's is the best. That's what it comes down to."

Jareth chuckled. "Go on…"

"You feel the need to show everyone else at this party, you own me. Why? Because you are a guy, and guys brag about what they have. You want people to know you've concurred the girl who concurred your labyrinth." She released a breath.

He took her hand in his then. It was subtle, their eyes didn't leave each other. "Let us go, Sarah." His voice was almost a whisper, "I will show you what I have to brag about, later." With that, they were outside in an instant.

Stars sprinkled the sky in unsure patterns and a half-moon was the only large decoration forever. Jareth led Sarah down a stone walkway boarded with bushes and hedges. Sarah didn't have time to smell the flowers. There was a coach-like thing at the end of the path with huge, black butterflies that had glowing blue spots attached to the front. _So old fashioned._ Jareth helped Sarah step inside the roofed compartment and then he followed her sitting on opposite sides. The vehicle began to move against the rocky terrain rough and bumpy. Sarah jolted when the ride became smooth and they were flying. She gasped when she looked out a window to see the labyrinth grow smaller under her. It was magic.

They rode in silence for a while. Jareth was going over his complicated plan while Sarah was amazed at the creatures and scenes they were flying through. Finally, she turned to watch Jareth. He didn't notice at first. His mind still on convincing Enyo about… "Yes?" He caught Sarah.

"I was wondering—" She clicked her lips. "—exactly how in love with you do you want me to be?"

Jareth grinned. "Well…That is a good question." He tilted his head. "For starters, when you look at me, don't look so agitated—it is quite a turn off." She scoffed. "Dote on me, Sarah. Act as though I'm your only concern in the world. Smile at the sight of me, mope while I'm away. Give in to my demands. Listen to what I say." He paused. "And **don't** talk back."

Sarah sighed. "Will that be all, your kingliness?"

Jareth almost nodded, but then something came else came into mind. "Well, Sarah, to make it easier, you could just be the opposite of who you are."

Sarah looked at him. Her eyes widened. A bit of pain shot through her body. "Really, Jareth." Her voice cracked. "You really can't even stand who I am?"

Jareth let his cool mask falter. "I…Sarah—"

She ran a finger under her eye where a little moisture was gathering. "I thought that maybe you were feeling a little of what I was feeling for you." Her cheeks slightly flushed her eyes falling to her lap where her fingers nervously intertwined.

Jareth didn't say anything then. His body was inwardly shaking due to his rapid heart beat. Did Sarah, just admit herself to him? _How you turn my world._

"Sarah, I didn't mean—"

But then Sarah was laughing. Her whole body trembled as she looked up to him a large hoot emitting from her lips. "I can't believe you fell for that!" She snorted. "Can you really see me as a sniveling girl confessing my undying love for you. As if."

Jareth gave Sarah a cold, unfeeling glare. "Yes, very good Sarah. Make sure you keep your laugh under control tonight."

Sarah returned her gaze to the window. "Fret not, Goblin King." Then, gaining a nasty tone, "Your wish is my command."

They didn't speak again until the butterfly led carriage landed with a soft thud. Jareth turned to her holding out his arm. His face was dark and serious. "Don't screw this up, Sarah. **Be** in love with me."

Sarah wound her arm around his in a graceful fashion. Her eyes were light and bright, the opposite of Jareth. "I'll do what comes naturally, my love." Then they were stepping out of their transport.

Sarah braced Jareth when she looked to the castle towering above them. Although not as large as Jareth's, it was much more magnificent. Towers were bright and detailed with flags noting nobility. Gardens laced the outer walls, lanterns lit the cobblestone path, and the whole thing had nestled itself on the peak of the mountain. The sky was so close. Sarah turned around once the coach had floated back into the sky—where? She wasn't sure. A long bridge stretched out behind her, miles long. Below the bridge was only emptiness, deep shadows.

She turned back to Jareth, a genuine smile forming. "Why is your castle so bland compared to this?"

"Because I only have Goblins to tend to mine." His hand slid around Sarah's waist pulling her to his side. "I do hope you don't intend to critique me all night."

They were following other human like people up stairs. They were dressed in the same manner as Jareth and Sarah. Their make up was wild and their outfits crazy.

"Time to slide that mask on." Jareth mumbled when they reached the top of the stairs. Sarah was relieved she didn't trip again.

"But I thought you said I didn't need it." She countered. "You put it in my room."

Jareth stifled a low laugh. He leaned into Sarah, gently moving a some hair from her ears. "I was talking about the proverbial mask you are to where tonight."

Sarah felt his breath trail across her neck and down to her collar bone. It left a searing feeling growing in her chest. She had a witty remark, but it seemed to disappear. "Oh." The only word she could form without sounding coherently stupid.

She slowly turned her head to Jareth, he wasn't paying attention. He hadn't noticed.

Sarah closed her eyes as a large golden light engulfed them. A coolness took over her body alleviating the heat of her dress. She opened her eyes when Jareth continued to pull her along. "Jareth," She whispered leaning into him without looking at him. "This place is…" She couldn't find a word to describe the dream before her. A chandelier sent rainbows across the room almost like a disco ball, but with a much more elegant feel. Drapes hung in random parts of the large ballroom some coming down from the ceiling to the floor. Jareth was right; none of the patrons were wearing masks, but that didn't take away from alien sensation surrounding her. There was a terrace off to the side, many doors led to the long balustrade. Shimmering lights lit the floor, music—a type Sarah had never heard before—filled her ears with a sentiment she didn't remember ever feeling. The whole place was more magic than Sarah had ever seen.

"Oh, Sarah, I love how innocent to all this you are. It is quite a breath of fresh air." Jareth moved her hair once more leaning in kissing Sarah on the neck.

_It's just because we're acting_. "Oh, Jareth, you are so sweet." Her jaw was locked. Jareth was quite amused.

But, then Jareth changed. It was in a matter of milliseconds. His face, stature, and attitude completely morphed into something else entirely. Sarah watched his eyes scan the room like an owl searching for pray.

"What's wrong Jareth?" Sarah let alarm creep into her words.

Jareth didn't look at her as he let his hands release her. "I have politicking to do, go entertain yourself." He began to walk away.

Sarah grabbed his arm. "Jareth," she hissed, "you can't just leave me in a room full of fae."

Jareth smirked. "Oh, sure. I don't scare you, but strangers do. How utterly charming." He leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead. "Just don't treat them the way you treat me." He shook off her hand and was gone, vanishing into an assortment of magic and mayhem…leaving Sarah alone.

Her face was burning with this last act of Jareth's. _ Just great_.

"Hello." Said a musical voice from behind her. She turned seeing a pretty lady clad in an assortment of purples and white. "I am Enyo."

Perhaps, pretty wasn't a good enough word to describe Enyo. Her dress was very low-cut, showing what she did have, was not a product of falseness. White fur draped across her chest and flung over her shoulders fluffing her long hair into a long, large mess. Her dress was more modern than Sarah expected with the way it tightened at the woman's every move. She was a temptress.

Even her face, with its pale beauty had enough to captivate the world. Her eyes were the deepest violet complimenting lushes black lips. Her hair was long, but looked full against her outfit shaping her square face perfectly. Her ears adorned silver wires which wrapped like wind around her ear lobes then dangled down towards her shoulders. Her nose was upturned giving her the same deformity Jareth was born with, arrogance.

"Hello." Responded Sarah after a short time. Truth was, she was astounded by the woman. Everything about her was so overwhelming. "Sarah."

"Yes." Enyo's charm began encompassing her overly superior atmosphere. "I have heard of you." A smile formed on her lips. "Did he bring you? The Goblin King, I mean."

Sarah smiled as the harp's notes kissed her ear. "Yes. I did have to beg him though. I just can't be away from him." She sighed and cast a glance towards his direction. "I should have known he was going to leave me alone."

Enyo's hand landed on her hip as her weight shifted in a lazy fashion. "That's Jareth for you. _Always working_." Enyo sighed now, but not for the same reason Sarah did.

Actually, Sarah was having fun at this party so far. Despite the fact that she had to swallow her pride to play the part, it was going to be fun playing Jareth's coy mistress. At least, she enjoyed how Jareth had played his part.

"But, my love for Jareth makes me look past that all that." Sarah wanted to vomit on her words. Talking about Jareth and love in the same sentence didn't seem like it was plausible in any language.

"Your love?" Enyo looked amused now. The party was getting busier. Many couples had taken the dance floor as an array of food floated to peoples mouths. "You two are in love?"

Sarah attempted to fake a blush and ducked her head. "Oh dear. I don't think I was supposed to say anything like that." She faked a sigh. "King Jareth will be most distraught with me."

"Oh, that is doubtful." Enyo absent-mindedly pulled on the end of her long, plum glove. "I'm sure his highness is over there telling all his best-est buddies of you two." The laugh that followed was laced with bitterness. "Tell me more. How did this affair start?"

"Well, I'm afraid you'll have to ask Jareth that." Sarah leaned in. "You must know how he is. I wouldn't want to rob him of the chance to gloat about wooing his labyrinth's defeater."

Enyo let a shocked face creep up on her neck, though she new perfectly well to whom she was talking. This was Sarah Williams. Keeper of Jareth's heart and Enyo's key to the Underground. Now, if only she could get the bitch to shut her mouth. "Oh, how very interesting."

"I suppose." Sarah locked eyes with Jareth from across the dance floor. His hand made a 'come here' motion. "Well it has been lovely speaking with you…" Sarah forgot her name.

"Enyo." She impatiently to the brat before her. "It seems as though your lover calls for you. Perhaps we will speak again, _Sarah._" She smiled before simply fading away. Sarah was never going to get used to the way fae—was she a fae?—traveled.

Soon she was standing in front of Jareth, ignoring all he spinning, dancing souls around her. "Yes, dearest?" She smirked. "I feel like I'm laying it on too thick."

Jareth put his hands on her bare shoulders—cursing those gloves—and give her a light squeeze. "No, _dearest_, you are doing perfect." He pulled her close to him his lips grazing her delicate ears. "My nephew says you have an air of love around you." Jareth laughed.

"Then I am doing well." Sarah would have been more pleased, but Jareth took his time breathing a light breath down her neck. "You're making a scene." She looked awkwardly at the many Fae staring at the bent king. Her face began to turn actually red.

"Oh, Sarah. They need to be sure. They need to know your mine." He proceeded to kiss the luxuriant cream of her shoulder, taking all he could.

Sarah tried to focus on a question that was dancing in her head despite Jareth's mind numbing activities. She could feel it slipping as she longed to tilt her head back and give way to the euphoria beckoning her, but she couldn't go there tonight, not with him. "Why do they have to know that, Jareth? Where do I come in?"

He pulled away giving her a suspicious grin. "Please don't concern yourself with these matters. But, all these people knowing I have you will save my kingdom." His hands slid from her shoulders and to her fingers. "Trust me."

Sarah didn't want to trust him. She wanted to demand he tell her everything. She wanted to know exactly what she was doing, why she was doing it, and how the hell this acting helped his kingdom. God, she wanted to know. However, Jareth's eyes held something she wanted to inspect. It was something small, behind different colored eyes, waiting for her to touch. Perhaps it wasn't there, maybe it was nothing, but that smile of his told her otherwise. She let trust slip away. "I want to dance."

Jareth moved a hand to her back, slipping it down above her hip. Then he put one of her hands in his. "Then it shall be." Just like that. He granted her wish.

How many songs had they danced to? Sarah lost count. She was too busy whirling with Jareth in this worry-free place. The best part was, she had stopped acting. When she stepped on Jareth's foot, she was actually sorry. When he held her close, she didn't have to think about relaxing in his arms. When he danced Enyo, she gracefully left with jealousy in her heart.

"Jareth, you used my potion?" Enyo smiled running a hand from his chin to her cheek while they danced a strange, creepy number.

Jareth smiled, _excellent_. "Yes. I'm pleased. It works phenomenally."

"So, your armies? They are mine?" She pouted her lip while batting her eyelashes.

"Come by the castle sometime and I will give them to you." Jareth was stiff against her, which, was bizarre. He had had relations with her and now he was repulsed by her, like she didn't belong near him.

"Oh, Jareth." She inclined towards him. "You've made my party." She kissed him on the cheek and pulled away as Sarah returned.

"I couldn't find any drinks." Explained Sarah, for she did look slightly exhausted.

Enyo snapped her fingers and handed Sarah a light green concoction. "Here, my dear. Wouldn't want you dirtying my soon to be floor." She smiled, then went off in the crowd in a normal, human way.

Sarah tilted the glass towards her lips when Jareth took it away. "No, no. Let's not drink anything she gives you." Then the glass was gone from his hand.

Sarah frowned, "Well, she seemed nice, I mean, you seem to like her." She paused. "I'm still thirsty." She put her hands on her hips to emphasize her annoyance.

Jareth smiled pulling a glass of water from the air and handing it to her. "Drink up sweet heart."

And Sarah did. When she was done she returned the glass to Jareth. He did away with it in the same fashion as the first. "Would you like some air?" He asked extending his arm.

"Oh, that sounds delightful." She smiled as he escorted her to the long balcony.

It was a breath taking view. The best Sarah had ever seen. Stars so close, you could pluck them. The world so far away, nothing mattered. It was chilly, but she tried not to show how the cool air affected her shoulders.

She gasped at first at the cold air. It felt astounding on her face as she ran through it to the edge of the balcony. She breathed in the cold, loving the way it kissed her lungs. She braced herself on the balustrade leaning over the darkness. "This is wonderful, Jareth." She commented not turning to look at him as he stood behind her.

"I'm glad." But his tone said otherwise. As much as he wanted to enjoy Sarah's false love attempts, his mind was elsewhere. He was strategizing. Thinking of Enyo—in war terms—and hoping that in the name of the Underground, everything would go according to his well thought out plan.

"Jareth?" Sarah sparked him from his thoughts. "What's bothering you, _my love?_" She tried not to giggle at that last bit, but let it creep into her words. There were only a few others out here, so she just had to make it _look_ like she was in love with Jareth. So they could _see_ it.

"Oh, nothing, dear girl." He faked a smile. "Nothing dear girl."

"You know Jareth. I think we should do something." Sarah leaned her back on the railing as she looked into those haunting eyes.

He let a grin touch his features. "And what would that be?"

"Well, in order to be truly convincing, I think you should kiss me." Her head was held high and her confidence almost startled Jareth.

"Really? You think that will be the kicker?" He came closer to her stepping into the poof of her dress. One of his hands landed on one of hers as it gripped the handrail. His other hand slipped under her chin, his face inches from hers. "But, I wonder, you can barely handle the idea of me touching you." The hand on hers tightened a bit. He whispered now, "Could you do it, Sarah?"

Jareth's breath was hot on her lips, a teasing introduction for the show. Sarah was sure he had done this before. "Oh, please. Do give me _some_ credit Goblin King." Her free hand moved to those crazy locks of his. She let her nails mischievously scrape his scalp while her face gave off a nonchalance vibe. They could both play this game.

"What are you waiting for, Sarah? Kiss me." He gave a smirk. She wouldn't do it. He could tell already. That resolve in her eyes faltering under his pressure.

"And why must I be the one to initiate a kiss between two dispassionate lovers?" Her hand slid behind his ear causing him to withhold a shudder. Then her fingers slid up his jaw line, then to the corner of his lip. Both their hearts were pounding. "Hmm, Jareth?"

Jareth cleared his throat, "Well, I do remember how you like to be the one to surprise me with a kiss. I thought perhaps this time it would be the same? No? Is, Sarah all talk?"

She cringed at the mention of the previous kiss. "Does his Highness have no balls?"

Jareth moved his hand to the back of her hair, messing up a tangle of ribbons. "Oh, Sarah, I've just called your bluff." Then he smashed his mouth over hers.

She hadn't had a chance to catch her breath before he kissed her and it almost seemed like too much. All her muscles tightened at once. Everything told her to push him away, but then in that same second, everything told her he wasn't close enough.

She sucked on his top lip gently nibbling while she tried to line her body against his. It was madness with this dress and all he layers. And Jareth's hands, oh his hands. How they were controlling her. She gasped, a slight moan escaping when his tongue met hers.

He turned her head more longing for better access. Jareth's arm moved from her hand to her waist, clutching her against him. Then he heard the slightest of whimpers escape her lips. _Sarah, Sarah, Sarah_. He brought his hands to both sides of her face. Deciding he had to stop.

Now.

Their lips parted, both feeling as though the kiss wasn't long enough for satisfaction. "Good enough for your plan?" Asked Sarah breathlessly, resentfully.

"Sarah don't be upset. It_ was_ your idea." _Not that I haven't thought about it._ He steadied his breath.

Sarah smiled. "I'm not upset. It was a _decent_ kiss." She moved out from under her subjugator.

"Decent?" Jareth scoffed. "Merely, decent?" Was she being truthful, or was she deliberately pushing him.

She smiled back at him, the light from the ball room casting an interesting glow on her face. "Yeah, decent." She laughed before telling a little lie. "I've had better."

"Well, my little vixen, you may as well let your hair down." He pulled the last remaining ribbon as the torrent mess fell in frame around her face. She looked even lovelier—if that were possible.

Jareth followed her back into the ballroom, introducing her to some ladies she could speak with about the labyrinth and about her winning Jareth and about her friends and about her brother and about blah, blah, blah. Jareth still needed to do a few things to ensure his plan would be successful. He was glad Sarah was playing her part so well. She almost had him convinced in the way she seemed sad he was leaving her again. _She was good_.

And soon the ball was over. Neither of them mentioned the kiss on the way home. Neither of them mentioned the kiss when they were standing outside Sarah's door. Neither of them mentioned the kiss when Sarah said goodnight. Neither of them mentioned the kiss when she shut her door.

Oh, but were they both thinking of it.


	13. A Sigh

**An: **Adult themes

* * *

Sarah rested the back of her head on her closed door. Her fingers were slightly shaking from her restraint. _Don't open the door, Sarah. Leave it closed. _It took some restraint, but she pushed herself from the door. She noticed a lump on her bed which frightened her. Had somebody broken into her room? She eased closer trying to be quiet, but the dress made it impossible. Very quickly, the lump jumped from the bed only half awake.

"Sarah!" Audra slurred slightly wobbly as she eyed the woman before her. "You woke me up."

Sarah laughed. "Well, sleepy, you are in _my _bed. What are you doing in here any way?" The false eyelashes were heavy while she looked down. Ugh, this whole outfit had grown annoying.

Audra wiped her eyes. "I'm s'post to help you get undressed. I didn't realize you guys would be back this late."

_Was it really that late? _Some how, even though Sarah didn't know the Underground time quite yet, she knew it was late. Quite late. "I would love for you to help me. I was afraid I was going to have to do it myself." Relief swept through her. All she had to work with if Audra wasn't there was a mirror. That of which Jareth had been nice enough to install while Sarah was baby sitting the children.

Soon, Audra had Sarah out of the dress. Her hair accessories and Jareth's necklace laid on the vanity's shelf. Sarah learned to breathe again as she threw on some lite clothes. She had decided to leave the bra and panties out of her ensemble considering she was only going to sleep.

She turned to ask Audra a question and found her passed out once again on her bed. _Guess I'll just crawl in with her. _As she neared the bed her eyes grew heavy, but a gurgling sound filled her ears. Her hand clinched her stomach. _Ugh, hunger._ She thought about waking Audra, but the poor goblin had already resorted to snoring. So, unsure of how she was going to find the kitchen, Sarah ventured for the stairs. _Well, come on, feet._

Soon, she faced the dark corridors of the stairs. "You will not get me this time." She stamped her foot then took a step forward. The stairs shifted causing her to wobble. "I am going to the kitchen and there is nothing you can do about it." Her voice echoed in the shadows. _Kitchen, kitchen, kitchen…_ "I don't understand why you stairs can't be as simple as you were the very first time I walked on you." She couldn't believe she was conversing with stairs. "You were just simple flights of stairs, and now you're all crazy." Then an image of Jareth and Toby as child popped into her mind. Jareth was walking upside down on these stairs and Toby always seemed so far away.

_No, you were even crazier the first time I met you, stairs._ She took a few more steps while within the depths of her mind before coming back to her body. The kitchen was before her, cleaner than the last time she had left it. "I'm here." She spoke, shocked. Now, all she had to do was figure out how she was going to get back to her room. She went to the closet—hanging food. She knew what she was searching for, but saw a plastic bag of _seasoning_ first. Her heart stopped as she remembered the pain that had ensued the last time she ventured to try such a means, but then she remembered the joy she had received moments before the pain.

That had been wonderful, exquisite. She did the procedure to get the bag down and it was open in her hands. She took a smell and remembered how all worries would melt away with just a scent of it. Every trouble, would vanish. Jareth, wouldn't be there mocking her. Karen wouldn't be there barking at her. It would all go away.

She could make it go away. All it would take is one big whiff and pure pleasure before death. She was sure she could bypass the pain if she did a large enough dose this time. All she had to do was…

But she closed the bag and dropped to the floor. She didn't know how to hang it back up, but she wasn't doing that kind of thing anymore. As Jareth said, she was too strong to resort to easy methods of escape. Sarah needed to learn how to face her problems, and deal with them.

After all, she was almost twenty years-old.

She returned to searching for the strange fruit Flogray—who still hadn't been talking to her—had made her try. Sarah was delighted when her eyes witnessed it. She immediately sat down to engorge herself.

She left the kitchen feeling quite awake once she had finished her snack, which was quite annoying. Then, she thought of someplace else she would like to go, but hadn't visited yet in the castle.

The ballroom.

She was standing before the stairs again. She sighed feeling quite stupid when she spoke. "The ballroom." Then she was walking again. Not too long later she felt as though she was being pulled in a specific direction within the staircase. She let it take her, never question the magic of the castle, just let it happen.

She was standing within a very dark room, but that's expected in the late hours of the evening. When she finally released her breath the sound exploded in her ears. She almost felt as though she had taken another bite of one of Jareth's peaches. She could see masked people, dancing outfits, _him_. Sarah felt fifteen again as she spun in the large, empty room. There were no decorations now, just vast emptiness (aside from a table and two chairs in the very center), but Sarah imagined it in all its glory.

She soon wore herself into heat, and that wasn't comfortable. Her skin prickled with the feeling of coolness. She turned to see yet another balcony. _What is it with castles and these?_

Sarah stepped onto the balcony feeling the cool breeze again. It was like a sigh from the moon…Or from her, possibly both. She wasn't hot, but just the fresh air was enough to calm her nerves. She leaned on the railing thinking about the night's events. Jareth's face flashed in her mind. Her eyes closed then opened just as quickly when the sensation of his hands tingled on her skin.

She looked at the world below her. The labyrinth reached out before her, stretching in all directions with puzzling patterns. Creatures loomed overhead cawing in aggregating tongues. Stars dotted the skies like paint had dripped the wrong way. _Do I want to leave this?_ It was a hard question with a difficult answer. There wasn't a no, but there wasn't a yes either. There was so much back home, right? There was her family, her…friends? She didn't really have friends on the Aboveground. Sure, she had those people she told stuff to and laughed with, but they were more like acquaintances compared with her friends in the Underground.

She began to feel chill and gave the night sky one last, longing look. Then a thought struck her. It was a sad little thought that started small, but grew intensely. What if she didn't have a choice? What if Jareth wanted her to go—to get rid of her? She let a shudder crawl up her spine with poison fangs. They dipped into her skin where Jareth had kissed. It ached.

Her hand shot to the spot covering it. An onlooker may have thought she was desperately searching the ground for a contact in the way her eyes focused. The fur lining above her brown orbs drew together while her hand lingered on that little prick, suppressing the pain inside. The ground wasn't what Sarah was looking at, but the smile of a Goblin King with cruel mismatched eyes. _Funny, _she thought, _he had once told me _I _had cruel eyes_. She took a breath of cool air to satisfy the emptiness that had suddenly hollowed her out.

She cursed as she stepped back into the darkened ballroom. She _was not_ attached to that despicable, arrogant, pig-headed, pain-in-the-ass, manipulative, jerk-of-a—

"Sarah?" A disheveled, rough voice said into the darkness of the ballroom. Sarah jumped slightly, but then she saw Jareth's form slumped in one of two chairs in that too large of a room. "I thought you would be sleeping." His voice was more controlled.

She smiled, though she wasn't sure if he could tell in the darkness. "I was hungry."

"Do you need help finding the kitchen?" He was about to stand when she waved him off.

"No, no." Her smile grew with triumph, "I figured out the secret to the stairs. I don't understand why one of your little goblins couldn't just tell me you had to think about the place you wanted to go and the stairs took you there." She had taken on an annoyed tone.

Jareth laughed an actual unmasked laugh. "Oh, Sarah, then you wouldn't have anything to occupy your sleepless nights."

Sarah rolled her eyes taking the seat across from Jareth. "How you annoy me." She sighed. "What are you doing here?"

Jareth looked startled for a moment and decided to light the candle on the table between them. "I came…" He trailed off and looked away from her. His eyes shifted across the dimly lit room, not seeing the room, but a memory. "I just wanted to recall something." His eyes found hers, the dim shadows making her look profoundly tired.

Her face held no emotions. "This was where it happened?"

Jareth smirked. "Where what happened, dear Sarah?" He leaned back, making his appearance seem more casual, as if this were a meeting of old friends and not enemies.

"Don't play games, Jareth," said Sarah very coolly, "it is much too late for that." She leaned back too, taking on an almost mirror pose of Jareth.

"Oh? I don't think its ever too late for games." He held his hand above the flame in an odd fascination.

"You were dressed in blue the last time I saw you in this room and I…" She recalled that huge, ridiculous dress and her hair, oh, her hair.

"You were very beautiful and young." Jareth sighed at the candle blowing it out. They sat in the darkness as he made no attempt to relight it.

"So, you do remember." Her voice was quiet with a little fear.

"Naturally, I remember Sarah." He laughed inside his thoughts. _How could I forget_?

"Were you really going to turn him Jareth? Into a Goblin, I mean." Him was the little brother Sarah had left behind when she had wished herself to the Underground. She had always wondered the answer to this question and when the Goblin King was silent she began to fidget in her seat. She had asked the wrong question. Things were going fine between them and look, she goes and screws it up.

Then he was in front of her, with an outstretched hand. "Dance with me Sarah."

She eyed his hand letting her vision trail up his arm, across his shoulder and to that murky face of the one who held her in his whims. "But, we've danced all evening." She whispered as she placed her hand in his. He swept her up in a smooth fashion in which she found herself entranced.

"You are correct." He murmured pulling her against his shoulder. "But, we've not danced in this room, for a long time."

She took in the smell of his wild hair feeling the tips of it graze her cheek. They spun slowly in a dizzying manner that almost made Sarah feel like she was high again. His hands, so tight around her. His breath, constant on her neck. No, this was better than any sort of high she could imagine.

"Jareth," her voice was slurred, "are you hypnotizing me? Can fae do that?" She placed her forehead on his shoulder in hopes she wouldn't pass out. The spinning ceased and Jareth pulled her body away from him.

"You're just tired. I'll take you back to your bedroom."

Before she could stop herself, her mouth erupted. "No!"

They both looked at each other cautiously, guarded expressions falling into place. _I want to see you more._ Was something Sarah wanted to add, but knew she couldn't say that out loud. Jareth had taught her a long time ago to be careful what she wished for.

Then his masked softened, his hand moving to her cheek. Her cold, red cheek. There was a struggling within his eyes. The moon kissed the hollows there under his pupils giving him a monster-ish glow, but Sarah wasn't scared of appearances. Sarah didn't move despite the ramming of her chest and the emptiness of her breath. She barely trembled when Jareth's fingers slid from her cheek and over her lips. Her eyes were locked on his, a question formed between them that neither of them asked.

But you don't ask this type of question. Not in a situation such as theirs. And so, Jareth's fingers slid behind her head, caressing her ear. He began to lean in, Sarah still, was unmoving. Her eyes closed slightly, light still peeking in. She felt Jareth's release of air across her face softly. Slowly, his other hand left her waist and moved her bangs to the side.

Sarah opened her eyes just in time to see the Goblin King smile before planting his mouth on hers. And, even though she was watching this, she still gasped at the electricity that coursed through her veins at his touch. Her hands reached for him, _closer_, they screamed. Of course, she listened, gripping the outings of his poet's shirt and angling her head just a little.

A diminutive sigh rolled through the room, then all the sensations changed. Sarah's back was against something, but her mind didn't care to process it. All she knew was the point of gravity was now pulling at her from a different angle, and Jareth was on top of her. Gravity was her friend and she just wanted to thank it.

Jareth slid his hand down her sides pulling at that disgusting top until his fingers touched bare skin. Sarah inhaled sharply. Oh, this feeling, yes, it was far better than being high. In fact, it was the best high she had ever experienced. She couldn't stop. All it took was the first kiss and now she was addicted to this man before her. She wanted to tell him to kiss her more, touch her more, and _do other things_.

Jareth let his face leave hers. His lungs were begging to explode, but the rest of his body didn't think anything was enough. No, not for his Sarah. His tongue licked the base of her neck releasing a small moan that had obliviously been hiding there, for Sarah let it go quite quickly.

"Jareth" She breathed, keeping her eyes closed as those gloves of his ran tiny circles over her stomach.

"I would have, Sarah." The King growled against the tender hairs of Sarah's neck.

She was too dazed to understand as her hands slid against his bare chest. "Would have? I think you are." She pulled his face to hers then, rolling them both over, so she was on top of him. _Wait, are we on a bed?_ Her thoughts told her to look around, but something tugged her attention back to Jareth as his kissing grew less careful and more passionate. Her hands rounded those shoulders and her thumbs traced his collar bone. She opened her mouth slightly and Jareth took the opportunity to kiss her fully. Their tongues met in the perfect duo making both of them melt.

Jareth, took control pushing Sarah to the side. She tried to pull herself back on top, but he kept her at arms length. Defeated and confused she fell back on a pillow. _A pillow?_

Finally she looked around as clean air made a home in her lungs. Yes, a bed, a very large bed, was below her. She wondered for a second how she had gotten there, but let the thought slip when she thought of the addicting fae beside her. The room seemed as though it looked at her room and said "I can be waaay better than you." Then this massiveness was created.

It was fit for a king. Then again, it was a king's. She refrained from looking Jareth in the eye as she tried to take in all the details, but it was too dark. She settled back against her pillow pulling an arm over her eyes as she tried to recount the last ten to fifteen minutes.

Jareth had kissed her. It was like a puzzle she had been working on for years she had completed, no, scratch that, it was like she had finished the labyrinth.

"I would have, Sarah." His voice was calmer now, not laced with animal aggression.

Now she turned to him slipping her hand down her side, tracing where his fingers had just been.

Jareth continued looking above. "Toby would have been a goblin had you lost." Then he turned to her, a smirk touching only half of his face. "I would have taken you, too." He eased closer to her, letting that old emotion of fear nest in her stomach. Her eyes widened at the way he seemed to be looking down at her despite the fact they were laying horizontal on a bed. _A fucking bed_. "Oh, I would have had you, Sarah." A gloved hand smoothed some loose hair within the havoc of Sarah's curls. "You would have bowed to me." He laughed. "I'd have that look of defiance in my bed every night until it broke, until I watched it shatter beneath me."

He wanted to tell her the truth. That's what his plan had been. Let Sarah know what his original intentions had been all those years ago, then he could happily do many things to her in this room with his guilt erased. Yet, it was coming out all wrong. He was getting caught up in the past, the thrill of winning. Those little fantasies of his almost becoming a reality.

His lips came within Sarah's again, his quivering Sarah. "How much do you hate me, Sarah?" His eyes scanned her puffy lips and blushing face. She hadn't said anything, she just watch him hover before her, within a second away.

She made a split decision, somewhere deciding she would react later. She pulled that man to her using all the strength within her brittle arms. His own arms pulled her tightly against him, coating his body with hers.

"Not enough to stop this." She managed to say between kisses. "But enough not to sleep—" she breathed "—in this bed with you." She ripped the shirt from his body leaving his mouth, to kiss his chest. It tasted better than she thought it may.

Jareth had a triumphant feeling. "Fret not, I need this whole bed to myself. I had planned on kicking you out." He received a death glare from the girl currently mid-lick on his nipple.

That's when all his body took in the situation. Her hair the wild mess, her face a fantastic flush, her lips pouting and full, her shirt hanging off her shoulder, her eyes half-lidded. _Yes_, he was going to have this.

He sat up causing Sarah to slide into a sitting position on his lap—which he didn't mind. They watched each other a moment. Sarah nodded, answering another question that wasn't asked as if she were in a trance. She moved her fingers to the hem of her shirt and began pulling it over her head, but Jareth's palms stilled her. "No," he whispered kissing her lips lightly, then her cheek. "Let me." She lifted her arms above her head as the garment fell to the side.

Jareth was surprised there wasn't a contraption covering her breasts like before, but he was appeased to see them perky before him. He was more impressed she didn't try to hide them, but leaned them more into his hand when he finally touched them. Her mouth opened as the most beautiful sound in Jareth's world found his ears, "Ah."

He was kissing her again. He cursed himself, but he couldn't help it. Then those damned gloves of his. He couldn't feel those cute Goosebumps on her arms. He pulled away again flicking off the leather bindings and tossing them away—it'd be a bitch to search for them tomorrow considering they were flung in different directions.

He didn't care.

He fell into Sarah's breasts sucking and caressing her into gasping fits. She was sent into a world she'd never been to before, out of the Underground and beyond her own world. Her hands were on him, in his hair, scratching and pressing. _Don't stop_. Her head was yelling, but her mouth wouldn't work. _Him. Him. Him._ All she knew was the sensation of his warm hands running down her sides, across her hips.

Those pants. She had to escape them. Her fingers left him to move the material on her waist. He helped her as his tongue lapped at a pointed nipple. He pressed closer to her once the fabric was gone, taking in the form below him with touch. He groaned annoyed at the pants that still remained on his legs.

He kissed her again, both their hands trying to remove those tight slacks. "Sarah." Jareth breathed balancing himself above Sarah. _How am I laying down again?_ She stared up to him tired and needing. His pants still hadn't been removed, but only unbuttoned. This annoyed her.

"Tell me about your tattoo, Sarah." He swallowed deciding perhaps, having her vulnerable like this would make her fold and tell him.

"What?" Her eyes expanded as she grabbed for the sheet next to her. She didn't try to cover herself, just the tattoo.

Jareth grabbed her arms, pinning her to the bed. He bent down pushing a knee between her legs. Her breath came sharply as she tried to squirm away, but he pushed more firmly. "Tell me."

"Tell you what?" She put her poker-face back on, despite the fact she was laying naked before her arch enemy. She still managed to be poised and dignified…to an extent. "It's just a tattoo that happens to be a labyrinth."

Her mind was racing with ways to get out of this situation. No, Jareth could not know of the tattoo, at least not the message it contained. Anyone but Jareth could know, hell, she'd tell her dad—though he would throw her in a crazy's hospital. She could make knew friends—just as long as Jareth didn't know. No, no, no. Jareth could. Not. Know.

She had to catch him off guard, pull at a weakness. She thought of something, but she thought it was decidedly stupid, but her only shot.

"There is something more to that marking than you're telling me." He put more pressure on her wrists and moved his knee a bit. Her breath hitched. Jareth's eyebrows narrowed and he tilted his head curiously. "Tell me, Sarah."

_Okay, time to try this._ "Jareth." She softened her face and tightened her legs around his knee. "I need you." She tried to pull herself towards him, but his hands were strong. "Please." She begged knowing this had worked on boys in the past—then again, Jareth wasn't exactly a boy and that bulge in his pants was willing to prove it. "Touch me, Jareth."

His resolve was waning under her beseeching. His hands slipped away as he pulled back. Sarah followed him, a winning grin plastered on her face. "Jareth." She teased crawling to his sitting form. She ran a hand on the along his outer hip as she came closer to his chest. A smirk had formed on his own face. He had lost, but the reward for loosing was better than the reward for winning—at least right now. She straddled his waist and kissed along his jaw. "Oh, Jareth," she gave a sight of bliss.

Then she was off the bed in seconds, the sheet swiftly wrapped around her as she searched for clothes. Jareth was astonished at her speed, and amazed that she thought she could escape. Ah, such a silly girl. "Sarah, tell me dearest, what is the point of the sheet when I've already had you below me," he gave a predator smile, "with open arms."

She didn't look at him when she lifted his shirt thinking perhaps hers was under it. "It makes _me_ feel better." She tightened the sheet across her chest when she tossed Jareth's shirt at him. God, he could be so…infuriating.

Jareth threw his shirt back to the floor, no, he wasn't putting it back on. "Sarah, come back over here."

Sarah actually laughed, _the nerve!_ She let her eyes fall on his form in the bed. Shirtless and beautiful, but Sarah had her pride. She would not be reduced to one of those girls. "I do not think so."

A small victorious sound came in her head as she reached for her pants. _Yes!_ She was bending down when an arm wrapped around her pulling her back up. She huffed, growing more irritated by the second.

Jareth was actually enjoying Sarah's reluctance. He brought the back of her hand to his lips. "Mmmm." She sighed at the smell of her sweat. "Sarah." His whisper was still warm and it made her shutter. The sheet wasn't thick enough. Her other hand was still clutching the sheet together at her chest, _Don't give in. Don't give in._ Jareth still had one arm around her, but it was loosening. Escape would be possible soon. She could almost see it.

However, Jareth didn't have room for escape in his plans for Sarah. Not this time. He smelled her hair which made her lean back into him, she didn't have any control. Something else had her limbs. That hand of his, it was doing things to her stomach that should be illegal. He took the hand he had within his and moved it behind his own head. She didn't refuse. _Stop. Stop. Stop. _Apart of Sarah was screaming at her to step away, not pull him closer. The rest of Sarah was giving in to demands she hadn't even heard form Jareth's mouth yet.

His fingers grazed the tip of her right breast while his other hand darted into the slit of the sheet she was struggling to hold up. His bare fingers hardly touched her abdomen sending all sorts of tremors down her spine. It had never been like this. Not with anyone else for her. She tilted her head lengthening her neck which he vary happily kissed. Then his hand dipped lower touching her center. Her whole body fell into a loving response, pressing even closer to him. His finger slipped inside and the sheet dropped. Jareth chucked when her body completely molded against his.

There was no controlling the situation anymore from Sarah's perspective. She was drowning in Jareth's touch, in Jareth's warmth. His lips sucked on the nape of her neck. His free hand glided up and down the bare arm she had wrapped around his head then kept going down. She moaned when he made contact with her nipples again. Then her attention returned to an area Jareth was doing strange things to. Sarah enjoyed having someone touch her that knew what they were doing. Sure, other guys had attempted diving into her depths before, but none of them knew how to please her. _Not like this._

Sarah's breathing increased as did her sounds. Jareth smiled realizing she was on the brink then a flow of new juices touched his already wet finger tips. All of Sarah's weight fell against him. Her legs were rubbery from all the dancing and the event that occurred seconds before. Suddenly, she was….so…tired. Her eyes fluttered closed smelling Jareth in the air all around her.

_What next?_

Jareth swooped her up in his arms, kissing her head lightly. "Jareth, I'm too tired now." She mumbled when he slid her on the bed.

"I know. Go to sleep, Sarah." Jareth struggled to put his desire away. That was quite the labor. He sighed as he wrapped the thin sheet around her frail body. The pale, soft, curvy body of Sarah. Her head quickly fell to a pillow where she closed her eyes. He watched her silently, looming above her and the bed in darkness.

He forced himself to look away from the girl before him waving his hands at her body as he walked away. He opened the doors to his balcony and closed them behind him. The morning air was stiff against his hard face.

It was so late. Jareth gripped the bar for safety. He needed to sleep. Sleep was important. Well, only a little for fae, but he did need to relax. He grinned. Sarah sure was relaxed. _She'll despise me in the morning, but it was worth it to see her face of paradise. _His grin grew.

_Oh, Sarah, what you do to me._ He returned to his room, stepped past his discarded shirt, and slid into bed. Sarah mumbled a phrase of slight questions Jareth didn't understand. He didn't answer her, but slipped a hand around her waste and put his mouth to her ear. "Shh."

There was a heat that flowed through both of them, a type of comfort and safety that united them both in an embrace. Unconsciously they drew closer and fell asleep.

But Sarah didn't sleep long. It was still dark when her eyes flashed open in the early minutes of sunrise. The night's events washed over her in a surge of emotion. She was gasping again when she realized she was still without clothing. She clutched her new favorite sheet tight around her and tried to reach the edge of the bed—escape.

As she moved, however, something pulled tightly against her. Her mind was screaming alarms and profanities when she felt a body against her. She turned her head around to see the Goblin King dreaming beside her, an arm draped across her. She gently lifted his arm and pushed herself out of the bed with sheet in tow.

"Sarah, just lay down." Jareth rolled to the ceiling begging some force to make this easy. He did not need a lost, naked girl running around his castle at this hour.

"Umm…" She looked at him before rounding the room to decide which door would be the correct choice. "I told you I would not sleep in your bed, and—"

"And you already have so you may as well scratch those words off your headstone." Jareth held a lazy hand out to her darkened form.

"I just don't know how I feel about. . . " She trailed off. She wanted to get in that bed with Jareth and cuddle up to him in a lover's fashion, but that was a dark secret buried in the back of her mind she only half knew existed.

"Sarah, there is a goblin currently soiling the sheets of your own bed." He gave her a warning glance. "Go to sleep."

She sighed. She _was_ tired and she wasn't sure where she would be heading anyway if she left the room. She glided back over to the bed and crawled in remaining on her side, at the very edge, facing away from Jareth. Her breath was fast matching the same pace as her heart. _Just go to fucking sleep_, she told herself.

Fifteen minutes later her body was yelling at her. No, she was still not asleep.

"Tell me about the drugs, Sarah. You've never told me." Jareth was clearly as awake was she was.

She tried to still her frightened heart while rolling over to His Highness. "There's not a simple story."

He swayed to face Sarah. "It's not a simple question. I need to know."

"But, Jareth, you have a kingdom to rule. Go to sleep. The likes of me should be reserved for a more appropriate time." She put her hand to his eyes, a trick she would do for children that would stare at her instead of sleep. They would close their eyes and realize how tired they were, then sleep. When she removed her hand, Jareth just cocked an eyebrow.

He gave a smirk when she frowned. "As you basically said Sarah, I'm a king. I decide what's appropriate at what times I deem fit."

Sarah continued to frown, annoyed that she didn't seem to be winning of their battles tonight. She didn't like that fact, not at all. "I don't think you would understand, Jareth."

This time his smirk touched his eyes. "Try me."


	14. A Reason

Sarah had requested clothing before spilling her guts to the king. "Dignity," she had said, "I need every ounce I can get." Jareth had a bound full of remarks regarding Sarah's dignity, but decided he'd let her go ahead and have some—as if he were doing her a favor. He was king, the only one that should be allowed the luxury of _dignity._

After she had changed, while she made him look away, they were back on the bed. Her hair was still big against her cheeks despite the removal of ribbons. Her eyes still held glitter which glinted in the moonlight. Her lips were still swollen, and Jareth tried to hide the fact that he was ecstatic about a small, dark bruise forming where her neck met her body. She probably didn't realize it existed, yet.

"Okay." She dropped her gaze to her fingers. "Where do I begin?" She looked back to him, reluctance tangible within her face.

"When did you start? How long after the Labyrinth?" He reached up moving her bangs once more this this night. They were always falling in her eyes.

She flinched away from his hand. "It was six months." She sighed. "I remember the day exactly."

"Very well." He leaned against his head board lacing his hands in his lap. "Why?"

"It was there." She smiled at him hoping he would accept her answer. She knew he wouldn't though, especially since she had a made such a big deal about telling him in the first place.

"Sarah, you have made me far too impatient. Now, the truth, and the reasons." He fought the tiredness that was overcoming him. He was not going to sleep now. Ha! The idea was laugh worthy. Sarah was about to tell him something he had been longing to know for ages—so it seemed.

"Fine, Jareth." Her voice was hard, but resigned. "It was six months after the labyrinth." She let a smile pull at her cheeks. "Six months after I had beaten you." Jareth scoffed.

The mood changed. Sarah's rebellion left when she spoke next. "Six months after your offering. That's when it started. That's when I became Alice and fell down a never ending rabbit hole." She had no idea if he knew what she was talking about. Alice, heh, he was probably thinking that was the chick that gave her the pot to begin with. She rolled her eyes as she continued. "It was shortly after my sixteenth birthday. My friend had said it would be a right of passage." She laughed. "Her name was Ramla. She was crazy, quite crazy, which was why I thought I could tell her about the labyrinth."

Jareth grinned and inclined an eyebrow, "She didn't believe you? How precious."

"No, she did. She believed every ounce of it." She ran a hand across her forehead. Her eyes drifted away falling inside her thoughts. Ramla's voice was there from five years ago laughing in Sarah's ears. Ramla was still in Sarah's life, a far off girl that had put the use of drugs behind her years ago. She was always so strange now that Sarah thought about it. She was the kind of girl with tarot cards and random prophecies. Then again, Sarah was the kind of girl that wore costumes as she acted out fairy stories.

"Interesting, she believed in a Goblin King?" Jareth found himself amused by this Ramla. Though she was the inclination for Sarah's behavior, the fact she believed Sarah said something else about her.

Sarah was quiet. "She believed in everything. I doubt she does now. We still speak through letters—we attend different universities—but we're not as close as we used to be. She grew up—"

"While you remained childish." They were harsh words that he knew weren't exactly true. Sarah had grown. She was an adult in many ways, but he was sure this Ramla girl had grown into the world, where as Sarah, grew away.

"Sure, fine," She deepened her voice in mock of Jareth, "I remained childish." Her face fell back into seriousness. "In other words, she changed."

"But she is the one responsible for your current situation?" Jareth waited. Would she agree?

"You're trying to trap me into blaming her and going off on how all this isn't fair, right?" He smiled. "God, you're getting too easy, Jareth. You need to up your game."

"Ugh, back to the story," he probed cracking his knuckles.

Sarah laughed. "Now, you are the one being childish." He gave her a glare that told her she best continue or the consequences would not be fun and may or may not involve a bog of stench. So she went back to the story, quickly.

"Ramla believed me, and that was all I needed. I needed someone to be there and listen to the tales with awe and ask questions about my friends, and to just believe it as much as I did…because I didn't, Jareth." She sighed. "I didn't think any of it was real. I kept thinking I was crazy. I had convinced myself it had been some elaborate subconscious devising to save me from myself of solitude and boredom."

Jareth interjected: "But your friends, Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus. They had to convince you it was all true." His voice lacked emotion, just arrogant amusement.

"Oh, don't get me wrong, in the moments I visited with them, I was certain once more it was all true. That you were the Goblin King—not a manifestation of a girl longing for some prince with a white steed. I was sure Hoggle was a true Goblin. One of your many subjects, my real best friend." Her hand ran through her hair. "But as soon as they left and I went to sleep, I'd awake later and assume it had all been some continuing dream. All of it. You were fake. The labyrinth a clever ruse my mind played on me. It was the worst, real nightmare."

Jareth rolled his eyes. "Sarah, I feel as though you are trying to distract from what I want to know. And in case that detail has slipped your mind, it is why you began to use your plants in dangerous ways."

"Ramla, got me started—"

"So, you've said. Blame her and be done with it Sarah. I sense this is where you're going anyways." The King's patience was flying out the window. _Just tell me, dammit._

"I won't blame her, Jareth. She told me if I did it, then I would escape the pull it always had on me." She looked away. "That's why I did it at first. I wanted to escape the labyrinth. Any time I wanted to call on my _imaginary_ friends, I just got high instead. Then, the world got darker. You know, I had to grow up. And, it was like, I just…" She was having trouble finding the words. "Then I started doing even more because I felt like I was getting closer to the labyrinth without touching it. Like, I was always seeing it from a distance, a safe distance that didn't threaten my sanity."

"So, you began using to escape the labyrinth, and you used more to be near the labyrinth." He smiled realizing what this confession of hers meant despite the fact that she didn't say the proper words. She had missed him. Well, perhaps he was reading too much into it, but she was missing something, and that something was within his labyrinth. He could live with that because for her to touch his labyrinth, she had to touch him—not in the literal sense. If she wanted near his magic, she had to come near him, let him in.

Then he realized something else. It wasn't the drug Miss Williams was addicted too, but the feeling of magic from the labyrinth which she could only replicate with the treatment. He slightly felt guilty within his gut; however, he reasoned with himself. Sarah had the choice to stay in the labyrinth and she chose not to. Her addiction was her own fault.

"I wanted to escape _to_ the labyrinth." She finally spoke at last. "In the Aboveground there is only this or that. No magic. In the end, once you've seen what I've seen it was quite mundane and unsatisfying."

"So, you fashioned your own little world." He turned his head to the side.

She nodded with a loud sigh. "Then it grew to the point that if something was going terrible, I just lit up and began imagining. I did other things every-once-in-a-while that would make the feeling stronger, but that was only during trying times."

"Trying times? Sounds as though my labyrinth spoiled you, Sarah. What trying times could you have had?" His mouth thinned in a half smile, his eyes half lidded from tiredness. Hers' felt the same, but his question had awoken her.

_The idea of never seeing you again._ Her eyes darted across the room. "You know, Jareth, teenage stuff. Growing up, getting a job, living on your own. It wasn't the fairy tale story I wanted."

"So, my Sarah, why didn't you just wish yourself away a long time ago? Why wait so long?" He reverted his own eyes hating the fact that she didn't exactly wish herself away on her own.

"Come, Jareth. You should be the expert on that. I have my pride." She laughed. "How ridiculous would it be to come running back to you?" She laughed harder. "_Oh, Jareth, human life is just too simple for me. Please, take me. I'm yours!_" She busted into giggles over the mocking of a more pathetic self.

"I do not find that amusing, Sarah." Jareth tapped his hand on his knee. "Aside from all your assuredness of keeping your pride, dignity, or whatever you are deciding to call it now, you did wish yourself away—"

"But you're taking me back tomorrow." She blurted out before she could stop herself. She watched his reaction. He didn't move, a little to her dismay.

"Yes, I am taking you back tomorrow." His mood dropped twenty degrees. That fact had slipped his mind. Sarah was leaving. He had the urge to do something violent. Not to Sarah, despite an act of hers a few days prior. Jareth wanted to boss some Goblin's around. Yeah, that sounded perfect. Strike fear into the hearts of the unworthy.

That's just what Jareth needed.

"What day is it?" Sarah laid down on her pillow next to Jareth. There was something almost natural in the way her head fell heavy on his arm. A certain warmness filled her chest.

"Day?" Jareth could feel her heart beat. It was slow and strong. _So lovely_. He angled towards her, his eyes gazing into hers. There was a new softness there within them—the anger there replaced by…something else. His finger fell to her jaw tracing the line from ear to chin.

Sarah shifted her gaze without moving. "In my world, what is the day?" His hands were always so distracting, so nice.

Jareth smiled and gathered his wits about him. The lack of sleep was causing him to do strange things. At least that's what he would blame it on later, the lack of sleep. Even within the reluctance of his own mind, he wouldn't admit it. _Admit what? _"I suppose it's been almost a week since you've wished yourself away in your world." He slid into a laying position as sunny rays were sliding through the windows. An orange gleam took over the room shedding shines of brightness across the floor.

"I see." She sighed slipping to the crook of his shoulder without thought. She sighed closing her eyes when his hand landed on her arm. "I will turn twenty soon. A day in my time."

Jareth kissed her on the forehead loving the way the sun made he look like an angel. A stray of hair wound itself lovingly around his fingers. "How shall we celebrate?" His voice was a whisper. His mind slightly gone.

"I don't know." Sarah's own voice was breathy and faint. There was an awareness of hands tightening on her, but the sun blinded her to the feelings surrounding her. It wasn't long until she was out.

Jareth fell too, asleep that is. Despite the fact that he knew he would be waking shortly for a meeting he decided was a mistake in scheduling. His last thought as he slipped off into a dreamless slumber was of pure serenity. There wasn't anger, or frustration. There wasn't lust or annoyance. Just pure peace. _Sarah._


	15. A Deal

**An:**I was recently inspired. I saw Labyrinth at a theater and remembered this Fanfic. So, here I am. I have it almost done and I think it will be about 25 chapters. Here is the first of the continuation I know some of you have been waiting a long time for.

* * *

Sarah awoke in the bedroom alone. She knew it before she opened her eyes, Jareth was not with her. She rolled on her back throwing her arm over across her vision. _Was it real?_ She recalled the ball and last night with slight regret. It was beautiful and haunting. She stretched her fingers and touched herself, but she didn't feel any different.

Slowly, she pulled herself in a sitting position. She silently wished the room wasn't so bright, and it, quite suddenly, changed. She marveled as the shades closed, the floor darkened, and the windows disappeared. Only dim candles remained. She thought about utter darkness, and the room transformed again as the candles were gone. All sources of light vanished. Then she went back to thinking about the current time, and sunlight overtook her.

She groaned hating herself and resigning to the dim room with candles. She was too tired. She longed for Audra to bring her any food from the kitchen, but first, she wanted more sleep. The night's events from before danced in her returning dreams.

* * *

Jareth sat opposite Enyo in the library, smiling. "It worked out better than I thought it would. Love potions are so rare now, I assumed you were fooling me." Jareth relinquished. He was uneasy despite his restful night of sleep.

Enyo gave a genuine grin.

"How did you find it?" He finished, slightly impatient.

Enyo gave a tap on her cheek with her gloved finger and looked up. "I honestly don't remember." She sighed. "It must be all the conquering I've been doing." She gave another purple-lipped smile.

"I suppose you want your payment then." Jareth was running his fingers up and down his riding crop not bothering to look in her direction.

"I killed your nephew, Jareth. Did you hear?" Enyo asked cocking her head to the side. "After the ball last night. I thanked him for the party, and then I slit his throat. Just. Like. That."

"No, I hadn't heard." Jareth mused. "Sounds like a mess. He actually was fond of you, you know." He remained preoccupied.

"I thought he might have been. A shame." Enyo murmured quietly letting her mind drift to happier places.

"A pity, yes." Jareth agreed. Then swiftly, he turned in his chair to face her swinging his legs over the edge. His eyes were dark, and his mind was foggy.

"I will kill her, Jareth." Enyo said matter-of-factly. "I will hold her up for all the world to see, and then I will break her." She sighed. "It would be very sad for you. And unseemly."

Jareth laughed. "Oh, Enyo. Please do as you will." He yawned. "I'm dreadfully bored of her."

"Oh, really? Just last night you were in _love_ with her" Enyo twisted the word love in the air with her finger.

"She was a challenge." Jareth stood up sauntering to Enyo. He put a hand in her hair. "Unfinished business." He finished softly.

Enyo stood up leveling herself with him. "Forgive me if I don't believe you, Jareth."

"Understandable." He breathed, eyes half-lidded. "She was a piece of an old puzzle I finally put in its place. I'm done with my toy now." He gave a predator's smirk.

Enyo now put her finger on Jareth's cheek. He tensed as she ran it slowly up and down the length of his jaw. "Then you won't mind if I dispose of her."

"Oh, of course." Jareth waved his hand as Sarah materialized in front of them. "Sarah, Enyo wanted to kill you." Jareth yawned again.

Sarah looked around the library with a confused expression. Enyo stepped in front of her. She cocked head causing her burgundy curls to bounce against her black cloak. Her mouth opened in a vicious smile.

Sarah looked at Jareth nervously. He gave both the women light shrug before leaving the library through one of the many arches. He shut the doors behind him and made his way down to his office. He wiped the sweat away from his forehead and laughed coldly to himself. "All for the Kingdom," he chanted "All for the Kingdom."

* * *

Sarah had managed to find her "guest" room. Her new clothes had been put away in drawers, and her string of belongings were placed on the desk next to the mirror. She picked up the mask and put it to her face again. She tied it around her hair and smiled. She needed her own make up.

Her smile faded. _No, I don't. I'm leaving._ She gently released the dark ribbon from its knot and laid it back down next to her black folded coat.

She stepped out onto the balcony and looked over the labyrinth. She reached for the sun willing it to give her answers. _The Underground_. She sighed. "I don't understand the relationship." She mumbled before returning to her room. _Between here and where I am from._

She went to the bed and noticed it was made. Her fingers ran down the duvet and wandered as she thought about never feeling silk like this against her skin again. She felt a small sob tighten in her throat. She had already decided to not say goodbye to her friends.

It was time to move on. It was time to grow up.

She fell to the floor and let her tears take her. The room shifted darkening just like Jareth's room had earlier that morning.

After checking herself in the mirror, Sarah decided it was time to go. She told herself she had just spent way too long feeling sorry for herself in a king's guest room. It was time to find Jareth. She opened her door and realized the castle felt odd. Not different, just odd.

She walked down the corridor in the quiet. The gold lined carpet and the fabulous pictures along the walls did not explain what Sarah was feeling, only that she was feeling strange as they began to close in on her. She put her hand out to steady herself. She saw the world flash before her eyes. The walls became forestation for a moment before flashing back to walls. Her head ached, and her eyes watered. Something was very wrong.

She slumped against the wall unsure where gravity was going as she slid across the hall. Her head turned and she saw her body was staying behind. _What the Hell._ She slid through the wall screaming. She didn't feel pain as she clawed at the floor she couldn't feel. She could no longer see her body as she flew through the stone castle walls.

She finally landed in a room without doors. She could feel the floor and it was cold. There was a dirty bed full of cobwebs and nothing else. She ran to the wall she was thrown to and slammed her fist against the stone.

"Let me out!" She yelled only to hear her own echo answering her. She yelled again before tapping as many stones she could find the patience to tap. "Open, dammit!" She groaned against the walls. "This is ridiculous!"

Sarah pinched the skin on her hand, and it hurt. So was she in her body or not. Her head began pounding again as her eyes watered. "What the fuck?" She put her hand against the wall to steady herself. "What is this."

Her lungs felt heavy. She was sure she was going to die. She took a deep breath as her throat closed up. She remembered the sensation of drowning when Jareth had dropped her in the fountain. It was back.

She swung her arms frantically in the empty room. She banged the walls, small sounds escaping her mouth. Her vision grew dark once more as she felt herself crash into the floor.

She took a breath, threw up, and wiped off her mouth. Her headache was gone but her eyes were still watering. Within moments she was shooting through the castle walls again and back to her body.

When she landed she felt like the world was spinning. Her breath was ragged and intense. Her throat hurt.

"What the fuck." she said again in between her breaths. She wanted out of this place. Now.

She ran down the hall exhausted. She thought she prepared herself to turn left, but instead she slammed into a window and caused it to crack. Disoriented, she continued down the hall wondering if she was suffering brain trauma from something last night or cut off of air just before.

She made it to the stairs. Strangely, they looked normal to her. "Jareth" Her voice was breathy and forced. She pulled her self down and up the stairs knowing her trip would be short. The stairs stopped in front of a door Sarah had never seen before, though she wasn't surprised. She had come to expect there were many things she had yet to see in this castle, and many of them, she knew she wouldn't want to.

She stepped through the door swinging it swiftly away from her with one hand and grabbing her side with the other to steady herself. She felt splinters dive into her palm as she lazily slid it across the wooden door. _Something is wrong._

She continued down a thin hall lined with slanted windows and a red rug. When she reached the end, Sarah had little strength left. Her eyes were heavy, her lungs were collapsing, and her hands were bleeding from all of her falls. She needed home, wherever the fuck that was.

She leaned her whole body into the door knowing Jareth would be on the other side, not knowing how she knew or why she know, but she knew. She expelled a dangerous amount of blood on the floor staining the gray stones with her life.

"What is. . ." She fell into the door frame looking up into Jareth's indifferent eyes. She held up her bleeding hand for—what seemed to her—an eternity to the empty-eyed king before her.

He knelt down to her crumbled form taking her chin in his hands. He wiped some of the blood from her lips onto his glove.

Her eyes rolled to the back of her head before coming back to his. Her breath stopped. She knew in that instant she had had a long drawn out death, and now, it would end.

"Good bye, Sarah." Jareth whispered as she closed her eyes all around her went dark.

* * *

Sarah stretched out her hands to grab all of her pieces. She reached in the blackness for her chest and felt it materialize before her. Next she sought her arms, then hands. She felt a serge of air travel down her lungs and back out. She reached for legs, knees, feet, and toes. Her back arched against her center of gravity. She sought her mouth nose and last, her eyes.

They flew open, and brightness surrounded her. She felt reborn. Her fingers dug into the earth as her mouth let a silent scream run through the air.

A flock of birds took off from the trees in a mass exodus and Sarah was left in the grass, alone.

* * *

Numbly, Jareth picked up Sarah's dead body. Enyo had gone, satisfied she had killed Sarah. She continued to demand Jareth's Armies, but he was able to hold her off.

"Come in a week or so. It will take time to prepare them." Jareth said from the other side of his desk.

Enyo cleaned her knife and accepted this answer. "Fine. If they are not ready the next time I am to visit you, I will kill you like your nephew and your whore."

And she vanished much the way Jareth had done many times before.

Jareth sat Sarah in one of the library chairs and removed the necklace he had given Sarah the night before. The insignia fell in his hand delicately as Sarah's body began to change. Slowly, it moved and transformed until it was a completely new creature. Then the creature fell to dust before becoming nothing but a memory.

Jareth stood up, a sad look on his face. The insignia was hot in his hand. "It had to be done." he said to the chair that sat empty save for shadows. "I need people to believe she is dead, but she must be safe."

He narrowed his eyebrows. He was not himself, and he didn't like it. She was like a disease, a pathetic, beautiful disease.

He placed the insignia in his pocket. "Thank you, for your sacrifice, Audra."


	16. A Visit

Sarah was sitting in her old family home eating breakfast and watching the news. She had just showered and was attempting to put her life together.

A week had past since she left the Underground. Two weeks had passed since she had gone missing. When she came to, she stumbled around dazed until she found a group of hikers to take her to the nearest hospital. Her parents met her there mortified she had been lost in the woods. She took the opportunity to tell them she wanted to come back home for a while, away from college.

"I need to get my head on straight." She told them. "I'm messed up. Let me take a year off and figure out my priorities. I'll help with Toby and get a job."

Reluctantly, Sarah was able to get them to agree. She dropped out of college without telling her college 'friends.' The first thing she did when she made it back home was search all of her packed away items. She found Sir Launcelot first which made it difficult for her to continue her search. She didn't know what she was looking for, but it was something.

The boxes were still haphazardly thrown around her room.

Sarah's house was empty with her parents at work and Toby at preschool. The news was dull. She picked up the remote and turned it off.

"Hello, Sarah."

Sarah screamed as she turned around. A pair of big brown eyes were staring back at her full of questions.

"Ramla. What the hell are you doing in here. You scared the shit out of me." Sarah jumped off her stool and ran to hug her old friend. She stepped back and eyed the woman. She looked far more adult than the last time Sarah had seen her.

Ramla had ebony skin and heavy lips. She was curvy, but beautiful. Her bun matched her tight pencil skirt and matching blouse. "I heard you were back in town." She smiled. "I've missed you."

Sarah brought Ramla over to her family's couch and patted a cushion. "Sit." She said as Ramla sat her matte purse on the coffee table and straightened her skirt. "You look so grown up." Sarah observed breathless.

"I have to note, you seemed changed as well." Ramla observed as she leaned closer to Sarah. "There is something new in your eyes."

Sarah took a breath. "Tell me what you've been doing."

Ramla explained she received a scholarship shortly after going to college for an editorial piece she wrote about Russia. She was currently working on securing an internship with a newspaper based in New York for two semesters worth of college credit which blew Sarah's mind.

"I won't get paid." Ramla added taking a drink of the tea Sarah had made for both of them. "But it will be a great experience. I'm nervous about the course work I'll miss though." She patted her hair into place.

"Wow, you seem so put together." Sarah flushed and pushed down her jealousy.

"I got lucky. Stupid lucky." Ramla put her tea down. "Lottery lucky. Please don't compare your life to mine." She sighed. "We both know yours has been far more eventful."

Sarah rolled her eyes. "I doubt that." She scoffed. "I finally quit smoking by the way. Cigarettes last year and weed a few weeks ago. Drinking too. I'm not going to do anymore of that for a while." Sarah laid down on the couch shoving her feet on Ramla.

Ramla laughed before pushing her on the floor. "And, what prompted your sudden abstain?"

Sarah grabbed a pillow from the couch and put it behind her head on the floor. "Someone I knew was being very judgy. It was awful."

"I hope you're not talking about me. I stopped trying to get you to quit months ago." She sneered at Sarah.

Sarah laughed. "Yes, I remember that letter well. 'Drugs are for kids Sarah, not women who plan to succeed at college.' I do believe you repeated that line ten times in one paragraph."

"I was hopping it would sink in. I felt a little more than guilty for getting you started." She let a grin touch her eyes. "I'm glad it is in your past, and I hope for good."

"I think so."

"Did you get that tattoo you were talking about." Ramla asked with disapproval lacing her voice.

Sarah blushed and felt her stomach sink. "I may have gotten something. . . ." Her eyes flashed to Ramla who sighed and fell back into the cushions.

Ramla kicked off her slip-on shoes and fell against the sofa in a heap. "Oh, my dear, little Sarah. What ever are we going to do with you."

"Look past my faults and understand I am strange human being."

Ramla sighed. "I suppose, that is all I can do." She sat up and grabbed a marker from her purse before looking at Sarah with mischievous eyes. "Let me solve your labyrinth, Sarah."

Sarah gasped. "You can't be serious. It is unsolvable."

Ramla made a face. "I doubt that. Let me see it, that is, unless it's on your ass. Then forget it."

"NO, judging." Sarah warned sitting up.

"Fine, fine, just show me." Ramla moved down next to Sarah with her marker in hand.

Sarah gave her one more look before pulling up her shirt. She unclipped her bra and slid it off her shoulder so it wouldn't block part of the maze. Then she pulled down her pants a little bit. The labyrinth started just under her hip-bone and worked it's way up her left side and part way under arm and breast. She laid on her side.

Ramla didn't say anything.

Sarah looked at her holding her shirt over her breast. "I said no judging."

"You also said it was small. This is huge." Ramla traced a finger across the length of the tattoo.

"If I didn't know any better I would say you're checking me out." Sarah leered at Ramla.

"Oh, please. You know that kiss during truth or dare junior year will always be on your mind." Ramla smirked. "Where do I start?"

"The bottom."

Sarah closed her eyes as the cold tip of the marker entered the opening of her labyrinth. She imagined Ramla being bitten by a fairy and then running down the long corridor to the right. Bricks, everywhere, as far as the eye could see. She was running with Ramla. They were fifteen again. They were looking for Sarah's brother, like always. _Toby_, they called out. They found secret passages, spoke with the labyrinth's creatures, and witnessed magical stories unfold before their eyes. Sarah pointed at the castle and Ramla followed her hand. They both smiled before the world flashed again. Sarah felt herself shake and she was alone.

"Hello?" She couldn't see. Everything was dark. "The oubliette?" She said aloud. "Not again."

She felt herself shake again.

And again.

Then sound came rushing around her as she took a breath.

"Sarah?" Ramla stared at her. "You. . ."

Sarah pulled her shirt down and looked at Ramla with bright eyes. "Did I just?"

"You were here and I was drawing on you and then. . ." Ramla's face was calm, but her voice was thoughtful. "You were gone."

"Are you sure?" Sarah pulled her bra strap back on and fixed her shirt. "I was really gone. You're not fucking with me?"

Ramla furrowed her brows and threw the marker at Sarah. "Why the fuck would I make something like this up." Then she smiled. "You were back there, weren't you. In the Underground. It is real."

Sarah mirrored her. "I think I'm figuring that out."

Within minutes they were in Ramla's car driving across town. "I should still have some of those books in my room. Hopefully my mom hasn't tossed them." Ramla absentmindedly mumbled turning into her driveway.

They both shot out of the car and ran into the double wide. Sarah knew this house by heart. She was on Ramla's heels as they burst through the door. They emptied the book cases and poured all the books on the bed.

"Search for something. Now." Ramla stated leaving Sarah in the room. She returned a few moments later with a glass of wine. "For me. You don't get any." She took a big swig and picked up a book out of the pile.

Hours passed as the two poured over the texts. "Shit," said Sarah after a while. "My parents will be home soon."

Ramla sighed. "Well shit. I don't have _enough_ to stay. . . . and we haven't figured this out."

Sarah gave Ramla a confused look. "Enough of what?" But Ramla didn't answer. Instead, she took Sarah's hands. "Ramla, what are you-"

"Shush, Sarah." Ramla closed her eyes. Then reopened them. "You must go back, Sarah. Whatever the costs. Whatever you must do. Go back to the Underground."

Sarah blinked and was back at her kitchen counter. The news was going in the background. Sarah's cereal was crackling its milk. She looked at the clock above the oven. According to it, only ten minutes had passed since she had got up this morning.

Sarah took a deep breath. She slid off the stool and left her cereal. She stepped into her bathroom and checked her eyes. Not bloodshot and not too clear. "What the flying fuck just happened." She asked her reflection.

Suddenly she ripped off her shirt and threw it to the floor. She turned her side toward the mirror and backed away. The marker was still on her skin inside the labyrinth's edges all the way from the beginning tracing the solution end near her heart.

She braced herself against the bathroom counter. She couldn't look in the mirror anymore. With a loud scream, she made her way into her bedroom. On her pillow was a book, _The_ _Labyrinth._

She finished it a short time later and looked around her room still confused. So, she had hung out with Ramla all day, right? She widened her eyes taking in her ceiling. Even if she had, going back to the labyrinth by choice? Jareth tried to kill her.

Didn't he?

And, what the fuck was with that flashing and shaking.

_I need to get high_. She opened her nightstand and reached in the back. She pulled out a jewelery box and yanked a dancing ballerina out of place. The platform lifted and she had her hands on her emergency stash and rolls.

She held the plastic bags in her hand. _I don't want this anymore._ She let go of a breath she didn't realize she was holding.

She pushed herself off the bed and was about to walk into her parent's bedroom when she heard a door in the house close. She stuffed her weed back in the drawer and hid it under a pile of magazines. She walked down the stairs to see her dad with Toby.

"How was your day, Sarah?" He asked dropping his briefcase on the table. He noticed her bowl of cereal on the counter. "Really, Sarah? Put the damn dishes away."

"Sorry." she murmured cleaning the bowl and putting it in the cabinet. When she was done she went to sit next to her dad on the sofa. He was flipping though the channels on the television without noticing her. Toby played quietly with his cars.

"Did you turn in any job applications today?" Her dad settled on the local news.

"I got sidetracked. My old friend Ramla stopped by."

"Who?" He turned to look at her.

"Ramla? She used to come over all the time."

His face didn't make any registration.

"She was black." Sarah said flatly.

"I don't remember."

She checked her tattoo again to check the mark and it was still there. She gave her father a smile. "I'll head out tomorrow. I promise."

He didn't return the smile. "See that you do."

* * *

After dinner, Sarah found herself back up stairs. Toby came into her room shyly. "I miss you, Sarah" he managed to say.

"I know. I miss you too. I love you, Toby." Sarah said climbing to the floor next to him. She gave him a hug.

He glanced anxiously at one of her many unpacked stuffed animals.

"Go ahead" Sarah said. "Take one. Just don't leave it laying around."

Toby smiled and grabbed a bear before trying to run out of the room. Sarah grabbed his sides last minute and pulled him to the ground in a heavy tickle. He laughed furiously screaming Sarah's name. She finally released him, and he fled her room with the stuffed animal.

Sarah could hear Karen calling his name.

Quickly, she pulled a messenger bag out from under her bed and threw the few notebooks that were in it on to the floor. In a haste, she scoured her room for items she thought might be useful. She grabbed a pencil case, some books, makeup, and then she got an idea. She looked at her closet and pulled the doors towards her. She ran her hands down the clothes until she found the items she had missed. Throwing the hangers aside, she grabbed an old cloak. She inhaled the velvet taking in memories she had long ago let die. Lovingly, she put the cloak into her bag with the rest of her items. She grabbed a few more costume pieces before changing into low key sweats.

She took a breath and grabbed her weed. She quietly stepped into the dark hallway. She looked downstairs to see her family sitting in the living room just before bed time. She moved into her parent's bedroom and pulled the door closed behind her. Everything looked pretty much the same from when she was in there all those years ago except Toby's crib had moved to storage. She closed the door and locked it behind her.

Slowly and uneasily she crossed the room to the window she first met Jareth. She turned the handle and pulled the thin glass towards her. She opened the bag and poured the contents out the window.

The spring wind picked up as thunder clashed in the distance. She turned back to the locked door. She second guessed herself for a moment. She was sure she was either about to kill herself or go back to the Underground. And within all of this assuredness, she knew she was leaving her family in a way she wouldn't come back from. She leaned her forehead on the door.

"Sarah, you are either special or just plain stupid."

She walked back over to the window and opened wide before returning once again, to the door. In a dead sprint, she took off from her parents bed and jumped out what had once been a gateway to the labyrinth.


	17. A Friend

Sarah braced herself against the leafless tree. She let her backpack fall to her side. She was utterly exhausted. Wiping the sweat from her brow she looked onward to Jareth's castle. Either it had looked a certain way when she had to complete the labyrinth, or it had changed in the last five years. The sky was no longer yellow orange, but clear, almost like her sky back home. The castle gleamed far more largely than she remembered against the backdrop of her past.

How was she going to navigate the labyrinth? It was large before her. The bricks looked clean and the outer edge was bustling with activity. The castle looked frighteningly far away.

_What am I doing here._ She turned her back to the castle and looked out over the rest of the land. The sky was bright and the earth was green. She looked again at her leafless tree. It hadn't grown since Jareth had showed her the labyrinth all those years ago. _Must be dead._ She removed her hand from its bark noticing it left black smudges on her skin. She smelled it, and it smelled sweet.

Part of her wanted to cry, part of her wanted to laugh with pure joy. She had made it to the labyrinth on her own. She didn't need Jareth, did she? She paused a moment contemplating. Why exactly did she come back? She groaned and put her head in her hands. _That's really something you should have figured out before you got here._ She looked at the castle. _I want my mask._ She smiled. That was a good enough reason for her. Last she saw it, she had left it in her guest room

Slowly, her vision traveled back to the castle. She slid her messenger bag to the ground chastising herself for not getting into costume earlier. But in case she killed herself jumping out of a two story window; she didn't want people to find her dressed in ridiculous clothes.

She opened the pack and rummaged through the costume pieces. She pulled her hair under a bald cap and checked it in her compact. She fixed some strays then adjusted her black pixie bob wig. She smiled she already looked different. She tousled the hair a little bit so the bangs didn't frame her face the same way her old bangs did. She quickly dabbed on some tan make up on her hands, neck, and cheeks before coloring her lips with matte brown lipstick. She put black all around her eyes and deep purple in the creases right above her cheeks. She ran her hand down the bark of the tree and then placed the sweet sap on her chin and arms to make herself look more dirty. Next, she pulled on an eye patch that was made for acting. It was actually see through although looking at it no one could tell. Last, she pulled out a brown cloak and swung it around her shoulders. It was flimsy, but Karen had bought it for her at some yard-sale. She felt bad this was her first time wearing it.

After checking her transformation in her compact, Sarah slid all her makeup back into the pack and slung it over her shoulder. She pulled the hood up on her cloak and wandered down the hill.

As she neared the bottom of the hill after forty minutes of careful maneuvering, she noticed a little market was set up at the labyrinth's entrance. It was like a small town alluring what looked to be out-of-towners. She continued down until she joined the throng of creatures like her mixing with goblins. She furrowed her brows together. _When did this become a tourist's attraction_?

The little markets were small stalls. Goblins sat in the stalls yelling their various wares. The people Sarah was behind laughed and pointed and fondled an assortment of goods Sarah had never seen before. Her arms tightened on her bag as she continued through the small market.

"Get yer souvenirs 'ere!" A goblin called after her. She smiled at him, but continued to the entrance.

"Hey, lady. I got an assortment of eye patches if you're interested." She turned to the stall nearest her. She looked back at the entrance to the labyrinth, but went to see the merchant anyway. She needed to make sure she was blending in.

She narrowed her eyes at the goblin. "I know you." She said quietly noting his mirroring eye patch. "I traded some seasoning for a mask and cloak. Remember?"

The goblin smiled, "You look quite different lady Sarah. You know Master Jareth almost killed me that day. Can't forget a day like that."

Sarah giggled. "Well, the mask was lovely." She lifted up her eye-patch and put a finger to her lips.

"Your secret is safe with me." He laughed and motioned for her to come to the other side of the stall. He grabbed her backpack and shoved an assortment of small items into it. "Come on, I'm not selling anything anyway. Damn visitors are good for nothing."

"Why are they here?" Sarah scrunched her forehead and lifted the now very heavy sack. She followed the goblin into the labyrinth. "Where are we going?" She asked looking down either direction.

"To my house. Don't worry, I know the shortcut." The goblin winked with his one eye, or blinked, Sarah wasn't sure. "They're here for the celebration, ya know."

They walked a little ways until the goblin put his hand on the wall. A wooden door appeared before them. He pulled it toward them and stepped inside. Sarah had to duck down to follow him since the door was so small. She made it to the other side, she was surprised at how large the living room she found herself in was.

"Have a seat." Said the Goblin as he left the room.

Sarah did as she was told sitting in a chair near a window. She was all ready in Goblin City, but it was different. There were flowers and decorations everywhere from what she could see out the window. There were streamers from house to house and lights floating along the streets even though it was midday. This was very, very strange.

Sarah turned back around and saw a very old and small human-like man before her. "Oh, hello" she gasped surprised.

"Don't fret, it is me child. My name is Henry." He took the chair next to hers and took a drink from a chipped teacup.

"You're the goblin? The merchant?" She asked.

"Well, as you can see, I am not a goblin. I pretend to be. It makes things easier to live in the city." He smiled at her as if awaiting her further questions.

"Tell me your story." Sarah sighed beyond curious, but not sure where to begin with questions.

"Well, let's see." The man tapped his chin. "Where to begin." He was quiet a minute before looking back at her.

He cleared his throat. "Well, I was the last person to solve the labyrinth, that is, before you." He smiled at her. "That was a long time ago. I've lost track of the years—it has been centuries, I believe. I had stupidly wished my son away in a moment of weakness, but without him, my country would have collapsed. I was both stupid and naïve." He gave a sad smile. "Somehow, I beat Jareth, and he was not a happy man. I was free to go. So, my son and I went back home. Yet, after seeing everything the Underground had to offer, I couldn't stay away. I became obsessed with getting back here.

"What did you do?" Sarah was leaning in close to him. Listening to his story, full of wonder.

"I worked very hard to fake my own death. Through disguise I found a man to replace me and I came here." He gave a satisfactory nod.

"How though?" Sarah scrunched her face. "How did you get back?" Sarah stopped herself from asking about Henry's son, why he had left him back in the normal world.

Henry's bushy eyebrows came together. "You and I, much to Jareth's dismay, have the ability to travel back and forth." He gave a sigh. "We just have to want with all of our being, without a doubt, to return." His eyes locked with Sarah's. "It would have been easier if we had lost. He takes the memories of those that lose, and he erases the existence of the child he steals. It is as if the child never lived where we come from. Often times, the child will probably get a better life here anyway, even if he or she does become a goblin."

Sarah cocked her head. "So, in a way, you and I, we are cursed."

Henry nodded. "We will probably always want this one over our other world." He gave a wry smile. "I don't even remember my world much anymore. I don't miss it at all."

"What about your son?" Sarah blurted immediately regretting it.

Henry sighed. "It is a long story." They were silent as Sarah mulled over what he had just told her. "So, Sarah now that you have returned to the Underground, what are you planning on doing."

She looked back out the window. "Honestly, I don't know." Her eyes found his again. "I wanted to come back, obviously, I don't know why. I hate Jareth—" She sneered his name. "But I love this place. I feel like I belong here."

Henry became grave, his eyes serious. "If you plan on staying, there are a few things you should know. Close the curtains."

Sarah did as she was told. She walked around the room tugging on the rope tied around the fabric of every window and pulled it down. The room grew dim. Henry clapped his hands twice and candles lining the walls lit up. Sarah was reminded of the Clapper from back home. She returned to her seat.

Henry started speaking after taking another drink. "The entire Underground thinks you are dead Sarah."

Sarah gave a diminutive smile. "I'm not surprised. Jareth tried to kill me right before I left—however long ago that was."

"Well, Enyo claims she killed you. She assured the Underground she held your dead body in her arms sucking the life out of you."

"My, that's graphic." Sarah mumbled. Suddenly her face changed. "Right before I left, I had a very strange out of body experience. My whole body hurt and I was sure I was going to die, but I wasn't even near Enyo." She looked back up, perplexed. "Why would she want to kill me anyway."

"I suppose Jareth didn't let you in on his politics, did he?" Henry asked.

Sarah shook her head.

"The Underground is unstable these days—it has been, for a while. Enyo has slowly been gaining control of all the Kingdoms. Jareth has many allies, but as soon as his Kingdom is under Enyo's control, they will fold. She will be our new ruler, and she will be heartless."

Sarah was suddenly angry. She remembered the woman from the ball and her violet trail. "Jareth wouldn't do that." Sarah explained. "He wouldn't just hand control to that woman would he? He's planning to fight, isn't he?"

Henry shook his head. "He is trying to gain control of Enyo and stop her in her tracks. But, no, he is not fighting."

"Then how is he planning on stopping her?"

"They are getting married."

* * *

Sarah was gazing at the castle from Henry's roof. He had told her staying undercover would be a good idea, but after she heard him snoring she sneaked out. Quietly, she followed the spiral staircase and made her way to the top of the short tower. It was level with all the houses in goblin city, but she could still see the castle. The castle was lit up, and she thought she could make out figures walking along the corridors here and there either patrolling or goofing off as goblins do.

She found what she thought might be Jareth's room. It was high above her and dark. There was a figure leaning out over the balcony, but the figure was only darkness. She was glad she had decided to leave her costume on because if it was him, she didn't want him to see the tears that were forming in her eyes.

_Married_, she thought. _What happened?_ She still didn't understand the time difference between her world and the Underground. She had spent one week in her world, how much time had passed. Surely not enough for Jareth to decide he needed to get married.

Plus, she was confused about her fake death. Henry had explained that Enyo had probably been tricked into thinking she was killing Sarah.

"She must have killed someone, though." Henry had observed. "She wouldn't go saying things like that without being certain. Maybe Jareth protected you."

Sarah's eyes fell from the castle. "Sure." She mumbled. "Protecting me." She wiped the new tears from her face on her sleeve and took in all the wedding decorations around goblin city. Even Henry had a banner twisting around his tower. It made her want to gag.

"Maybe, I don't belong here." She said at last. She noticed an owl high in the sky as she pulled her hood over her head. She watched it fly toward the castle and disappear near one of the spires. She made her way back inside.

She laid down on the bed Henry had made for her out of bed straw. It was not as comfortable as the bed's Jareth had, but she made due and soon fell asleep.

Sarah woke up feeling gross. She wanted a shower and knew she wasn't going to get one. She joined Henry at his breakfast bar where he offered her some rotten looking fruit—she didn't mind.

"Have you decided if you are going to stay?" Asked Henry as he began to put on his own goblin attire. Sarah picked up the mask he had and was jealous of its details. He had looked like an actual goblin when he wore it. The eye moved, the nostrils flared, even the skin on his forehead had life. "It is enchanted." He answered her unasked question.

She smiled. "Jareth has something that belongs to me. As stupid as it may be—life risking and what not—I want it back. I came all this way, I'm not going to stop now."

"And what has he stolen this time?"

"Well, he didn't really steal it." Sarah said defensively and immediately chastising herself. "I left it in my room. It was the mask I traded seasoning for."

"That's it?" The old man shrugged and gave a measured look. He was wearing his entire get up apart from the mask that still lay on the counter. "I have plenty I can give you another."

She smiled sadly.

"I see," said the man. "Well, let's figure out a way to get you in that castle."

* * *

**An: **So, I did some fanart for all of you from a scene in Chapter 14. The link is in my profile. Please take a look at it when you get the chance and leave a review telling me what you think! Thank you!


	18. A Play

Sarah was bored. She had sat around inside Henry's house all day. She worried he might attempt to turn her in, but assured herself since she was considered dead, there would probably be no reward. Even he didn't recognize her with all of her makeup.

She was able to find some clean water and soap after he left and couldn't help herself. She washed her face, her thick hair and under her arms. She didn't want to use all of Henry's soap, so she put the rest of it back, and put her Goblin City mask back into place.

She was faster at putting her wig and make up on since she knew what she wanted to do this time. She was done in less than five minutes and looked better than before. She still wanted one of those enchanted masks that Henry had, but he said he only had one and that it took him years to acquire it. _A shame._ She thought.

Sarah went out to the center of town for a bit. She brought her bag and traded her pencil box for a hair piece. She began inquiring about "fae repellent" which worried many merchants. Finally, a goblin with a shiny nose ring and long pointed ears took her into his shop.

"What exactly are you looking for?" He said as he stepped behind a counter.

Sarah looked around the shop. It was dark with a mixture of different shaped glass bottles. Some held strange insects or glowing liquids with lava lamp qualities. "I have a fae after me." Sarah explained. "If he gets close, I just want some kind of defense."

The goblin behind the counter smiled a toothless grin. "I think I know exactly what you need."

Sarah had the concoction and directions safely in her pocket when she returned to Henry's place. She sat down at the window thinking about Hoggle and her other friends when Henry burst happily in the door.

"I have a plan." He said giddily in his goblin voice. He took a breath. "You used to be an actress, right?"

Sarah shrugged. "I pretended to be an actress."

The old man turned goblin waved his hand, "Pish posh! You are now an actress." He gave her a piece of paper with language she couldn't read. "A theater troupe is going to give a show for the Jareth and his future Queen. They needed a fae to play the part of Sarah—since humans don't exist here—and I told them I had just the girl for the part."

"So, I'm playing myself?" Sarah smiled. This would be interesting.

Henry's masked frowned a bit. "Well, they have changed your character a bit. In this version you die."

Sarah coughed. "What? Why?"

"Well, they have to appease their new queen." He made a sound. "It's called, 'The Real Sarah'." He shook his head. "There are some in the kingdom, in all the Underground, that had come to idolize you, or worship you, if you will."

"So, they want people to know how I really was, even though that wasn't really me." She was angry at the Underground and herself. She had always been so wrapped up in her own misgivings she had never thought about the Underground being its own source of tumult.

"Yes. You are a source of hope. They have to squash that."

Sarah was thoughtful for a moment. "Why are you helping me, Henry"

Henry sighed "Because like I said. You are a source of hope." He smiled. "You bring peace. That's the only way I can explain it, but you can trust me. Please do."

She nodded. "So, how should I do this?"

Sarah found herself standing with a range of different shapes of Goblins. Tall, short, fat, and thin. They were all here. There were a few humanoid creatures, but none as close as her. She noted there weren't any fae either and wondered why they got to be so special all the time.

"She's missin' an eye!" Cried one of the shorter, older goblins. "Sarah wasn't missin' any eyes."

"Do yer see any other fae linin up to play 'er? Naw? Didn't think sa."

"We can't just have the most powerful woman in the labyrinth have no eye."

"And why the 'ell not?"

"Because she's powerful and stuff."

"I think it is good she is missing an eye. Shows how gross she is anyway."

Sarah was sitting down at eye level with most of the goblins as they circled her and _discussed_ her. Henry told her not to speak. "They'll come around." Then he left her with the theater troupe. She wasn't very pleased.

"Read this line." A goblin thrust a sheet of paper at her.

She looked down and then back up at him. "I can't read this." The letters were a type Sarah had never seen before.

The goblin scratched his long thin nose. His hair was wiry and red. It stuck out in all directions even though he wore a hat to keep it in place. "I surrender, oh, powerful, Jareth." The goblin threw the paper back at her.

Sarah wanted to laugh, but settled for a grin. "She really is awful, isn't she." She asked the goblin.

The goblin made a face as if torn. "Just say the line."

Sarah took a breath, put the back of her hand to her forehead and said, "I surrender, oh, powerful, Jareth." Her voice was high-pitched, strained, and young. She sounded weak and sick.

The goblin smiled. "That will have to do. We are preforming this for Master Jareth and future Queen Enyo tonight. Go with Haberscrab over there, and he will tell you your lines. You only got a few."

Sarah froze. Jareth would see her tonight? She walked over to Haberscrab, but she couldn't focus on what he was telling her. There was a dark fear bubbling up inside of her. _What if Enyo tries to kill me again. _Fear of Enyo was new for Sarah. She both hated and feared the woman. And she was marrying Jareth. She looked at her hands. They were bleeding from her nails she supposed she had been digging in them.

She heard a harp and turned around. A small goblin was playing a soft string at a time. Slowly, a goblin with a flute joined in and the harp and the flute began to harmonize together. "They are our music." Haberscrab said after gently jumping on Sarah's head.

She was greatful he wasn't heavy and left him up there. He held a paper in front of her that she couldn't read. "I'll read these to ya, ya repeat. Sound good?"

"Sounds good." Sarah chimmed.

* * *

It was evening. Sarah had just finished eating the dinner the goblins had given her. There were all huddled into a trailer and being driven through the castle gates. "We have about an hour to set up the stage." The goblin Sarah guessed was the director said. Henry was sitting next to her. He was still wearing his mask and he was sleeping.

She looked up at the dark castle as they pulled in. The carriage continued to move around the castle to a well lit back area.

"The party should already be going." Haberscrab said from Sarah's lap.

"Party?" Sarah asked.

"Queen Enyo and Master Jareth are celebrating their engagement tonight. Everyone important will be at the castle tonight."

"Wow." Sarah nodded. "How long have they been engaged."

"Oh, about a month I suppose."

Sarah took a deep breath. _And he is probably fucking her._ She scolded herself. What did it matter. She suppressed her emotions and looked at the goblin that was supposed to play Jareth. _This play is going to be a nightmare._

They arrived while the party was still inside Jareth's ballroom. Sarah could see the few that were outside in the garden were wearing masks which upset her more than she thought it should.

She helped pull the stage out of the trailer they were riding on. It unfolded like a pop-up book with props and scenes all falling right into place.

The director marched up to her. She squatted down so he could talk to her. "I want you to put this on. It is Sarah's mask. Everyone in the show will wear one." He handed her the mask.

She didn't put it on right away, but instead turned it to face her. It was a simple white mask with sapphires for eye brows. The sapphires spun and swirled above the eyes into the concave of the nose. Quickly she tied the mask against her wig. She left her eye patch on under it. She found the only mirror inside the trailer and observed how much she really didn't look like herself.

Haberscrab came up to her then. "Here is your dress. You better hurry and change. The show will start soon."

Sarah ran into the small changing room at the back of the trailer while the other goblins finished setting up the lights. She could hear the party's guests making their way out into the garden to the round white tables that had previously been set up. She slid off her clothes and noticed her tattoo still had Ramla's marks. _I need a shower._

She liked the feel of the simple fabric along her skin. The dress reminded her of her old one back home that she used to wear to rehearse her own labyrinth. She smiled softly.

She stepped out from the changing room and peeked around the edge of the trailer. She saw him with Enyo's hand stepping on to a platform a short way across the yard. People were laughing behind their masks as they began to settle into their seats. It was beginning to grow quiet. She looked to Jareth's seat and noticed he wasn't there.

"Are you the one to play Sarah?"

Sarah turned around to see the Goblin King wearing a red mask with sharp horns. She immediately looked down. "Yes, your majesty." She said breathless.

"I suggest you do well." His voice was thick.

She dared herself to look back up, but he was gone. Sarah leaned her back against the trailer begging her heart to stop its fast beating. _Why?_ She thought. _Why does he have this affect on me._

Sarah made her way back stage and prepared for the start of the show. She was beyond nervous, and she was suddenly glad she only had a few lines. Mostly it was improv.

She hadn't realized her whole history had been rewritten. In fact, she was written out of most of it which perturbed her. She stepped on stage, hated that she had to pretend to abuse Toby, and then wished the Goblin King would take him away. Then she was ushered off stage as Jareth was portrayed as the giving king.

She watched with great interest as parts were left out, and Jareth was shown in a new light. Most of the play was told from his perspective with him taking care of Toby and detailed his exhaustion after moving time forward.

The play was almost over. She was backstage when she looked up to Jareth's slumped form. He was either bored or embarrassed. Or both. Enyo looked like she was enjoying herself as she gently stroked Jareth's thumb.

Sarah stepped out on the stage and "stupidly" searched for the Toby in the stairs the way the director had told her to earlier that day. When she finally reached him, the scene changed.

The entire audience was quiet, as well as the band. Everyone watched her look at the Jareth goblin.

Sarah began her lines. "Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City, for my will is as strong as yours. And my-"

"Stop!" Cried the goblin Jareth.

Sarah looked at him. What happened next was a lie. The goblin Jareth came towards her and faced her to the audience. He pushed her to her knees. She slowly tilted her head as she watched the real, bored Jareth cover his eyes. Why did he hate this?

The goblin Jareth continued his lines. Sarah tuned in just as he finished. "Just fear me, love me, do as I say."

"I-" she couldn't bring herself to say her line. She watched the Jareth across the yard peek through his fingers.

"I. . ." she trailed off again. Enyo was starring at her as well.

"Say the line." The goblin Jareth nudged her with his foot.

She stood up and walked off the stage, something pulling her. She passed adorned tables and fixated patrons. The yard seemed somehow smaller when she finally stopped. Her insides were thankful for the mask as she stood dead center in front of Jareth.

"I'm yours." She murmured without breaking eye-contact. Jareth was sitting fully erect now. Through some kind of magic Sarah didn't understand her final words were echoing throughout the yard.

There was a round of applause from the tables and a few people even stood. Sarah didn't look away from Jareth.

He slowly began to clap his hands looking down at her with a slight grin.

She curtsied. "Your Majesty."

Slowly she looked down and found herself again. She furrowed her brows. Something felt strange. She began to walk away from the Jareth and his future queen when she heard her name.

"Sarah," called Jareth melodically the way he had always sang her name. "Or, whoever you are. You did a fine job."

Sarah smiled behind the mask and hastily left.

She was bothered. Something was making her do strange things. Either she was unknowingly obsessed with Jareth more than usual, or there was magic afoot. The urge to walk came from a pulling sensation within her bones, as if someone had tied a string to every one of her ribs and was pulling her forward. She was troubled.

She was also glad that everyone took her monologue as the end of the play. There was about another twenty minutes left where she had to die by a fake Enyo goblin by being thrown in the Bog of Stench. Even in make believe, that was too much.

Back at the trailer Sarah stripped out of the dress and put on her scraps of clothes. She found Henry. "I have to go now if I hope to get it." She whispered.

"I agree." Here, he gave her the bag he'd been watching while she preformed. "Take it with you, and be careful. I'll take you as far as the goblin's quarters."

"Whatcha doin?" Haberscrab jumped down in front of Sarah.

"I have to go see someone in the castle." Sarah said quickly. She took the mask off her face and handed it to the small goblin.

"Can I come?"

Sarah made a face and began to hate herself. "Sure," She chimed "Just go put this mask away first, and be very careful with it. We'll wait for you."

Haberscrab was unsure, but nodded as he headed off.

Sarah turned to face Henry who remained in his own enchanted mask. "Let's go."

* * *

**AN: **Don't forget to review! Also, check my profile for a link to some fan-art I did for all of you. Thank you everyone!


End file.
